hung curd recipe

Hung Curd Recipe

By Swasthi on September 18, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Learn to make Hung Curd at home with this easy step by step guide. Hung curd is Indian yogurt (curd) from which all of the whey has been drained. In other words it is nothing but Greek yogurt also known as strained yogurt. Hung curd is an important ingredient used in the preparation of many Indian foods like tandoori dishes, Raitas, kababs and Sweets. It is the key ingredient added to the marinades for tikkas and kebabs. Hung curd is also used to make Shrikhand, Dahi Kababs and Cucumber Raita.

Hing curd made with fresh homemade yogurt

About Hung Curd

As the name suggests, hung curd also known as hung yogurt is made by hanging the curd in a muslin cloth so all of the liquid is drained in sometime. The resulting thick curd is smooth, creamy and delicious.

While it may be convenient to use store bought Greek yogurt in place of hung curd, the homemade version smells and tastes much better than the store bought. We have always found the store bought Greek yogurt to be tart for our liking and feel that really ruins the dishes.

Hung curd is a healthier substitute to mayonnaise. Spice it up the way you want and spread it over your rotis, tortilla or bread to make your Wraps, rolls & Curd Sandwiches. It also makes a better substitute to regular curd in your curries and gravies.

You can also make a quick dip with this thick curd, garlic, black pepper, salt and herbs. It goes so well with many kinds of snacks and breakfasts like parathas, sandwiches etc.

Plain homemade curd sometimes coagulates when added in curry preparations due to the high amount of whey. So substituting the regular curd with hung curd works well in such recipes.

Most Indians make Curd / Dahi at home as it is a common practice in India. So it is also a common thing for us to make hung curd at home and in a lot of places Greek yogurt is not available.

An easy substitute to this is toned milk yogurt. You just need to scoop out the thick curd from the bowl, leaving out any whey around & you don’t need to strain it at all.

Why do we need it

Now you may be wondering why hung curd is important in certain recipes. It is simply because we don’t want too much moisture (whey) in the preparation process. Using yogurt with a lot of whey is going to make your marinade runny and it won’t stick to your meat or paneer or veggies.

In Sweet dishes like Shrikhand we use thick yogurt because we want the dessert to be thick and creamy and not runny as we are not making Sweet Lassi. Similarly in Cucumber raita, runny yogurt together with the juices from cucumber will end up with a runny raita.

Now since we know why this is an important ingredient let us make it.

How To Make Hung Curd (Stepwise photos)

1. Choose a deep bowl for this process. The bowl has to be deep so the whey doesn’t touch the strainer.

2. Place a strainer/ filter or a colander.

3.Spread a thin muslin or cheese cloth over the filter and add 2 cups chilled yogurt to it. Make sure you use a thin cloth else the whey won’t drip to the bowl.

4. Bring together all the four edges and squeeze of the excess whey lightly. Make a knot and hang it above the kitchen sink (or to a ‘S’ Hook if you have one). The dripping whey can be collected and used for kneading roti dough. Leave it for about 30 to 45 minutes. Place it back on the strainer.

Strain yogurt in 3 ways

You can follow one of the 3 ways as mentioned below.

5. A. Cover with a plate and place a heavy object over that. For this I used a clay bowl, you can also use a mortar pestle or any other things. Transfer this entire set up to the refrigerator. Let it rest for 4 to 8 hours, depending on the fats and texture of yogurt used. If your yogurt is too runny, it will take long time.

B. The other alternate way is to roll this pack of yogurt in several layers of cloth and place a heavy object over it. The cloth absorbs all of the whey and you get hung curd faster.

C. Sometimes I also use a ‘S’ hook to hang this inside my refrigerator. Place a bowl beneath to collect the whey.

6. Mine was ready after 4 hours.

Transfer it to a air tight container and refrigerate until used. I prefer a glass container as I feel it keeps the hung curd fresh without becoming sour for many days.

Hung curd served in a red bowl

Pro Tips

  • I prefer to chill the yogurt before using because I live in a hot region. I feel this way the yogurt doesn’t become sour as it is left out of the refrigerator for 30 to 45 mins.
  • If you start with a sour curd, your hung curd will also taste sour. I feel it becomes more sour during the straining process.
  • If you intend to store this for few weeks, make sure the cloth is cleaned in hot water and dried well before using it.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Hing curd

Hung Curd Recipe

Hung curd is just plain yogurt from which whey has been strained out using a cheese or muslin cloth. This can be eaten plain or used in marinades, kababs, chutneys and dips.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours
Servings1
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 cups curd (plain yogurt / dahi)
  • 1 pinch salt (optional, for serving)


Instructions

How to make Hung Curd

  • Place a strainer over a deep bowl and spread a thin muslin or cheese cloth. Pour yogurt in the center of the cloth.
  • Bring all the 4 edges together to the center and make a knot with one edge to secure the yogurt. Squeeze gently to drain excess whey. Check pics in the post.
  • Hang it just above your kitchen sink for 30 to 45 mins, so that the whey drips to the sink.
  • Place back the yogurt pack in the strainer. Place an heavy object such as a ceramic bowl or mortar pestle over it.
  • Move the entire setup (bowl, strainer, yogurt and the heavy object) to the refrigerator. Rest for 4 to 8 hours, until most of the why is strained.
  • Open the know and check. Hung curd must be thick and creamy without any whey.
  • Transfer to a air tight container, preferable glass container and refrigerate until used. You can sprinkle some salt and also eat it right away.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Hung Curd Recipe
Amount Per Serving (100 g)
Calories 298 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 225mg10%
Potassium 759mg22%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 485IU10%
Vitamin C 2.5mg3%
Calcium 593mg59%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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© Swasthi’s Recipes

Hung curd recipe first published in February 2015. Updated & republished in March 2022.

Hung Curd Recipe

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
This hung curd post is so helpful to me. I make this once in a week for our tandoori marinade and I also use it to make a spread for rolls and wraps. Not sour at all like the Greek Yogurt. Thank you

Hello. Can I use Gopi Indian style whole milk yogurt?

5 stars
I love indian food. I find this blog very helpful.

Hi Swasthi is hung curd and Greek yogurt the same?

Thanks for clarifying Swasthi 🙂
Tried Paneer fried rice(without marination) from your blog today and turned out delicious? Thanks again?

5 stars
Hi Swasthi,
I regularly prepare the hung curd as per your recipe..its super soft & yummy??… Thank you so much for the recipe?.
It’s been around 2 weeks that I prepared 2 batches of hung curd & refrigerated, they are slightly sour.
For how long can hung curd be stored in the fridge. Needed to use these to make tandoori chicken & shrikhand

Please advise

Thank you so much Swasthi?

5 stars
Thanks for this recipe. This is exactly what I am looking for at the moment.

I have a couple of questions:

1. I don’t want to throw away the whey. Can I drink it?

2. Where can I get muslin? Is there a substitute like cheese cloth?

5 stars
Your hung curd making process was excellent and I tried and it worked well. Many thanks for sharing your cooking experiences

I can’t find the type of yogurt that is best used for this, any suggestions of types or brands?

it looks like whipped creme nce

nice post…

5 stars
thank for sharing