Yogurt Recipes | 31 Indian Curd Recipes

Collection of 31 yogurt recipes. curd also known as yogurt is a fermented product made from milk. curd is also known as ‘dahi’ in hindi language. it has sweet sour taste when fresh and becomes very sour and acidic if kept for a long time. The curd which we we make in our homes in India is very different from the yogurt which is available in western countries or outside India. The taste of yogurt is also different than the taste of a Homemade curd.

Milk is set to a creamy and thick curd with the help of beneficial bacteria which aid in fermenting the milk to curd. The bacteria converts lactose present in milk to lactic acid thus making curd a probiotic food. So curd is good for the gut due to beneficial bacteria in it. Thus it also improves digestion.

This is the reason why they say that curd should never be heated. When curd is heated these friendly bacteria die and this makes curd devoid of health benefits to the gut.

Curd is best consumed during day time. avoid having curd at night as it can increase mucous. As a practice we do not consume curd or curd products at night or after evening time.

According to ayurveda generally people with vitiated or aggravated kapha dosha or pitta dosha should avoid curd. Though curd is helpful to balance a vitiated vata dosha. Ayurveda recommends having curd sweetened with sugar or jaggery.

Curd is a good source of calcium. so for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, curd can be taken everyday. Its especially beneficial for kids and women. Curd is also good in proteins.

In this collection I am sharing recipes where curd is one of the main ingredient or used in a good proportion or good amount. Since curd is used in many recipes, I have only selected the popular recipes in this collection. Curd is also used to make raita. So if you want to make raita then check this Collection of 27 raita recipes which has many popular raita varieties like:

• Fruit raita
• Boondi raita
• Cucumber raita
• Pineapple raita
• Tomato onion raita

Curd based dishes like lassi and chaas (buttermilk) are often consumed during summers or when its hot. This collection has recipes where you can use fresh curd or sour curd or Hung curd. you can use store bought curd or home made curd to make the recipes.

Collection of curd or yogurt recipes

1. Punjabi kadhi pakora recipe – one of the popular kadhi variety made in Punjabi homes. Fried onion pakoras in a creamy & sour yogurt sauce. You can also have kadhi with roti but we prefer to have it with rice. Kadhi Chawal and Rajma Chawal are a staple and much-loved food in Punjabi homes.

2. Thayir sadam – Curd rice is one of the most popular South Indian rice variety. It is often served with a South Indian meal and also part of South Indian thali meal.

3. Dahi aloo – This is an easy and delicious Punjabi recipe of potatoes simmered in curd sauce. Steamed rice, roti or chapati are your usual options to pair with Dahi Wale Aloo. You can add peas pulao and jeera rice too in this list.

4. Buttermilk rasam – mor rasam also known as curd rasam is a rasam variety made from curd or buttermilk. Usually sour curd is used to make mor rasam and this gives a nice sour taste in the rasam along with the spiciness coming from the spices which are added.

5. Gujarati kadhi – the Gujarati kadhi is a light dish as no pakora is used unlike Punjabi kadhi. The kadhi is thin and sweet as jaggery/sugar is added to it. The recipe is quick to make and within 20 minutes the kadhi will be ready.

6. Dahi bhindi – sauted okra in a smooth, creamy, lightly spiced and tangy sauce. This delicious recipe of dahi wali bhindi is easy to make and goes very well accompanied with some hot Roti, chapatis or Naan

7. Rajasthani kadhi – a very easy, delicious & quick kadhi recipe. The recipe does not take much time to make as no pakoras are added to it. a no onion no garlic recipe.

8. Kashmiri dum aloo – baby potatoes in a spicy vibrant curd based gravy. This is a delicious and popular recipe from the Kashmiri cuisine and is often served in many restaurants.

9. Dahi wali arbi – This is a mildly spiced and a thin curry made with arbi or taro roots in an onion-tomato gravy. In this recipe, the arbi is cooked with the masala and yogurt. The spice which has a dominant aroma and flavor in this curry is carom seeds/ajwain.

10. Aval dosa – this poha dosa is super soft, spongy, porous and stays so even after some hours. The method to make poha dosas is slightly different than the one for Regular dosa. here the rice and poha are soaked in buttermilk. Then ground and fermented for 4 to 5 hours.

11. Maharashtrian kadhi – the taste of this kadhi is slightly sweet due to addition of sugar. You can use either fresh or sour yogurt. The tempering of curry leaves, asafoetida, mustard and cumin perk up the kadhi. This kadhi is also a no onion and no garlic recipe.

12. Hyderabadi veg biryani recipe – this vegetable biryani recipe is light, a bit spicy and super delicious. an authentic vegetable biryani is always slow cooked on dum. This cooking on dum gives the biryani its uniqueness and originality. This is how the biryani has the beautiful medley of the aromas, flavors and tastes caused by the blending of the ingredients used in making it.

13. Banarasi dum aloo – this dum aloo recipe has a base of tomato, ginger and spices. Some yogurt & cream is also added. Baby potatoes work best, but you can also add regular potatoes.

Snacks recipes made with yogurt

1. Dahi ke kabab – Make this traditional vegetarian Dahi ke kabab that is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This tangy, savory and delicious snack is great for sharing and is made with Curd or yogurt, gram flour, onions, ginger, chilies, coriander leaves and seasonings.

2. Dahi aloo tikki – this is a very popular and tasty North Indian street food snack where aloo tikkis are topped with curd, sweet tamarind chutney, green chutney and spice blends.

3. Dahi papdi chaat – sweet, spicy and tangy street food snack from north India. in this chaat recipe, you will get to taste the sweetness of the curd, crispiness of Papdi, soft melt in the mouth boiled potatoes and not to forget the Indian spices which adds their own zing, tang and spiciness in the dish.

4. Dahi vada – Fluffy, tender, soft, tangy and sweet Dahi Vada are a combination of all your favorite flavors and textures in one tasty snack. They consist of homemade fried lentil dumpling fritters, dunked in creamy whipped yogurt and topped with both spicy and sweet chutneys.

5. Thayir vadai – It is the South Indian variation of dahi vada. It is very different in taste than the North Indian dahi vada. mainly as Sweet chutney and Green chutney is not added. Thus the taste of thayir vadai is spiced and sour.

6. Dahi bhalla – a popular snack in north India, particularly in Delhi and Punjab. The method to make dahi bhalla is same as preparing Dahi vada. in dahi bhalle, Papdis, boiled potato cubes & cooked chickpeas are added which are not added in dahi vada.

7. Thayir dosa –  curd dosa is a delicious soft dosa recipe made with curd, rice and lentils. These curd dosas are a version of Set dosa or sponge dosa and give nicely soft textured dosas. another variation of these dosas are Poha dosa which are again very soft and light dosa.

8. Delhi papdi chaat – this delicious chaat recipe is made with papdis, boiled chickpeas, potatoes, pakoris (fried black gram fritters) and curd. Its a popular North Indian street food.

9. Curd sandwich – this is a quick and easy sandwich recipe with a veggie curd filling. makes for a quick snack or brunch option. You can serve curd sandwiches plain or accompanied with some Potato chips or Banana wafers.

10. Lassi recipe – lassi is quite popular in Punjab and north India. Its a cooling and refreshing drink to have in the summers. This sweet Punjabi lassi is flavored with cardamom powder and saffron. There are many varieties of lassi recipes made. Few of the popular ones are:

1. Mango lassi
2. Strawberry Lassi

11. Chaas recipe – The classic Chaas (Chaach/Mattha) also known as the Indian version of buttermilk is a refreshingly cooling summer drink made with creamy yogurt and seasonings. An excellent body cooler, digestive and appetizer.

12. Coconut curd chutney recipe – delicious variation of a coconut chutney made with yogurt. the yogurt gives a slight sour taste to the chutney. this chutney taste very good with Idli or Dosa or Plain uttapam. it can also go well with Medu vada and Onion uttapam.

13. Pudina chutney recipe – this is the same tangy mint chutney that is served in restaurants with tandoori snacks like Veg kabab or Hara bhara kabab or Shami kabab and tikkas varieties like Paneer tikka, Mushroom tikka, Aloo tikka etc.

14. Piyush recipe – It is a smooth and creamy drink popular in the Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine of western India. To make piyush, Shrikhand (a thick yogurt based dessert) and Buttermilk are whisked with the flavorings of nutmeg and cardamom. The nutmeg especially imparts a great deal of flavor and aroma to piyush.

15. Dahi puri recipe – a delicious, yummy, chatpata chaat snack from Mumbai. It is sweet, sour, tangy, spicy and crispy chaat with so many flavors and taste bursting in the mouth.

16. Aloo tikki chaat – super delicious chatpata dish in which aloo tikki are topped with a tangy sweet tamarind chutney, spicy green chutney and curd.

17. Paneer tikka recipe – sharing this easy and fool proof recipe of a delicious paneer tikka on tawa or stove top or griddle.

18. Bhatura recipe – Bhature Is one of the Most popular Punjabi recipe. bhaturas are often eaten with Chole (chickpeas) and this combination of Chole bhature is very tasty as well as popular all over India.

This recipe post from the archives (Feb 2018) has been republished and updated on November 2022.