Hung curd is plain curd with most of its whey drained away. It turns thick, creamy and spoonable, which is exactly what you want for shrikhand and for kebabs that need to hold their shape. Two recipes on this site use it: Mango Shrikhand needs 1 cup and Dahi Ke Kebab needs 2 cups.
It takes only a few minutes of work. The rest is waiting.
The short answer
Tie fresh curd in a clean muslin cloth, let the whey drain into a bowl in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, then use the thick curd left in the cloth.
- Line a sieve with muslin or a thin cotton cloth and set it over a bowl.
- Pour in the curd, gather the cloth and twist it gently.
- Leave it in the fridge to drain: a few hours for a soft hung curd, overnight for a very thick one.
What you need
- Fresh plain curd (dahi). Full fat curd gives the creamiest result.
- A clean muslin cloth, cheesecloth or thin cotton cloth.
- A sieve and a bowl to catch the whey.
Step by step
- Place the sieve over a deep bowl and line it with the cloth.
- Pour the curd into the cloth.
- Gather the corners, twist the top gently to squeeze out a little whey, and tie it.
- Put the bowl in the fridge, with the bundle resting in the sieve or hanging over the bowl, so the curd stays cool while it drains.
- After a few hours, check the texture. For shrikhand, leave it longer, up to overnight, until it is very thick.
- Open the cloth and scrape the hung curd into a bowl.
How much curd to start with
Curd shrinks a lot as the whey drains, often to around half its volume. As a rule of thumb, start with about twice the amount of hung curd your recipe asks for.
| Recipe | Hung curd needed | Start with about |
|---|---|---|
| Mango Shrikhand | 1 cup | 2 cups curd |
| Dahi Ke Kebab | 2 cups | 4 cups curd |
Using hung curd
For Mango Shrikhand, the hung curd is whisked until smooth, then blended with powdered sugar, cardamom, saffron water and mango puree, and refrigerated for two hours to set. For Dahi Ke Kebab, it is mixed with grated paneer, vegetables and herbs, shaped, coated in bread crumbs and fried.
The leftover whey
Do not throw away the liquid in the bowl. It is the whey from the curd, and many cooks use it in place of water when kneading dough or in curries and kadhi.
FAQs
What is hung curd?
Hung curd is curd (dahi) that has been strained through a cloth until most of its whey drains away, leaving it thick and creamy. It is the base of shrikhand and many dips.
How long should curd hang?
Strain it in the fridge for a few hours for a thick dip, or overnight for very thick hung curd for shrikhand. The longer it drains, the thicker it gets.
How much curd do I need for 1 cup of hung curd?
Curd loses a lot of its volume as the whey drains, often around half. Start with about twice the hung curd your recipe needs.
What can I do with the leftover whey?
The drained whey is the watery part of the curd. Many cooks use it in place of water when kneading dough or in curries and kadhi.
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