Of Donkeys & Dhoklas

My friend, VK, and I are the admins of the free Vegan Dahi (Curd) & Jaman (starter) group on WhatsApp where we teach people how to make different varieties of vegan curd at home. It is a fun and informative group for anyone interested in exploring the world of vegan curd-making; Click here to join 🙂

The other day, we were talking about the different varieties of plant-based curds that we have already tried, and VK wondered why we never thought about making curd with walnut milk. After all, walnuts are nutritious and deliver numerous health benefits to humans. If we can make almond curd and cashew curd, then why not walnut curd? So we decided to try it, and I am so happy to share that it was a big hit!

Walnut curd is wonderful! It has a mild taste with a hint of sourness and a delicate walnutty flavor. In this recipe, I used agar agar or China grass, a vegan alternative to gelatin that’s derived from red algae, to set the walnut milk into curd. I use Urban Platter agar agar powder. This walnut curd works great in savory dishes like raita and chaach. It can be used as a healthy, flavorful base for salad dressings as well.

Time taken: 20 minutes + setting time

Yields: around 600 ml (4 cups)

1 Indian cup = 150 ml

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup broken walnut kernels (soaked in water for 8-9 hours, drained, & rinsed)
• 4 cups water
• 1 level teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 2/3 teaspoon – 1 level teaspoon agar agar powder (I use Urban Platter)
• 1-2 tablespoons vegan curd starter 

Method:

1. Blend the soaked walnuts with 1 cup of water until smooth and creamy. Add 2 more cups of water and continue blending. Strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag. There will be very little residue. Alternatively, you can skip the straining part.
2. In a saucepan, mix the agar agar powder + sugar, if using, with 1 cup of water and keep aside for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously until the powder is fully dissolved. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Switch off the heat.
3. Add the walnut milk to the saucepan. Stir well. When the liquid is warm but not too hot—you should be able to dip a finger comfortably–add the vegan curd starter.
4. Keep aside to set for as long as you would for dairy curd according to the climatic conditions in your region. The setting time would vary from 5-7 hours in summer to 10-12 hours in winter.

Note:

If you find the set curd to be gel-like, just whisk it for a few seconds for smooth, thick, creamy beaten curd.