Vegan Curd Starter with Peanuts & Ginger!

Curd is something most Indians love! Irrespective of the region, curd is an integral part of the typical Indian diet. The good news is that as vegans you can continue to enjoy your favorite curd—just make a plant-based version instead of the “regular” dairy one!

To set thick and creamy vegan curd you need a good quality starter. There are several methods of making vegan starters. I have personally tried a few methods successfully after getting inspired by posts in vegan groups on Facebook and WhatsApp. I have discussed these here: 5 Types of Homemade Vegan Curd Starters

In this post, we will discuss how to make…

Vegan Curd Starter with Peanuts & Ginger!

Preparation time: 15 minutes + soaking time + setting time

Yields: 2 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw peanuts
• 1 cup water (150 – 175ml)
• 1-inch piece of ginger

 Method:

1. Soak the peanuts in warm water for 5-6 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Grind the peanuts with the water till smooth. Strain to get thick peanut milk.
3. Bring the peanut milk to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Let it cool until it’s slightly warm; you should be able to dip a finger comfortably into it.
5. Slice the ginger into 3 pieces and drop into the milk. Cover and keep aside overnight (might take longer in winters).
6. It will set into a thick, almost jelly-like substance.
7. Discard the ginger pieces and blend the curd until smooth.

Your starter is ready!

Use 1 tablespoon of this starter curd to set about 500ml of plant-based milk (works best for peanut/soy/soy-cashew milk) into curd.