Easy Thick Vegan Yogurt

Whether you're vegan, trying veganism, lactose intolerant or IBS issues. This vegan yogurt will be right up your alley and is super easy to make with just a few ingredients. It is both Soy and Nut free.

EQUIPMENT

Blender
Cheese cloth/nut milk bag/muslin cloth
Heavy bottom pan
Curd pot/Non metallic pot like glass, clay, stone, ceramic

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry chickpeas need to use dry chickpeas, not canned. Should be raw, not cooked.
4 cup water for soaking
3-4 cup water for making milk
Curd Starter
- Option 1: 2 tbsp of soaking water from chickpea.
- Option 2: green chili crowns (head of green chilly)
- Option 3: Non-dairy Yogurt culture

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the chickpeas in 4 cups water for 8-12 hours. This depends on your weather. If its hot and humid, 8 hours will be enough.
CURD STARTER: After 8 hours, water should have bubbles. Save 2 tbsp of this water to be used as the curd starter. In case you forget to save this water, 5-6 green chilli heads can also be used.
Strain the remaining water, you can use this to water your plants.
Now blend the chickpeas in the blender with 1 cup of fresh water to form a smooth paste. Don't blend it too much, else it will be difficult to extract the milk. It should be a little coarse.
Now add the remaining 3 cups water (or 2 to reduce cooking time) and blend just for few more seconds.
Take a cotton cloth or a nut milk bag and place a container below it.Add half the quantity of the chickpeas paste to the cloth/bag and squeeze it to extract the milk.
Repeat this with the other half of the chickpeas paste.
Stir the milk, then, move it to a pan and place it on the stove. Stir it again to make sure it doesn’t settle at the bottom, before switching on the stove.
Turn the stove on and heat the milk on medium heat. Keep stirring the milk until it begins to boil and the consistency is thick like custard.
You may notice foam building up during this process. You can remove it as and when required.
Once you have the right consistency, switch off the stove and let it cool down.
Keep stirring to make sure it cools down evenly. Else it will cool from the top and still be hot underneath.
Wait till the milk comes to a lukewarm temperature. You can check the temperature by adding a few drops of it on your finger. Ideal temperature to add the starter culture for fermentation is around 38°C to 44°C (100°F to 110°F)
Transfer the milk to a non-metallic container.
Add 2 tablespoons of the soaking water that you saved at the start of this recipe. This will act as a starter.
Stir the starter thoroughly. You can also use your clean finger to stir to give additional bacteria from your skin. Cover the container with a loose lid and let it sit.
The process can take anywhere between 6 to 12 hours depending on the weather. If the weather is very cold, you can cover the container with a blanket to keep it warm.
Check back in 6-8 hours. It is done once it has a sour taste.