Curd starter is sometimes made with dried red chillies (or their stems) in hot milk.

The reason for this tradition is that dried chillies are rich in a type of lactobacilli, the bacteria that help ferment milk to form curd.

After the starter is made, or saved from a previous batch of curd, milk is boiled and cooled.

It is then left to sit undisturbed for 5 to 10 hours, until slightly sour, then refrigerated until consumption.

Traditionally, buffalo milk is filtered and boiled, the scum is removed and it is cooled to room temperature.

A few spoonfuls of a previous batch of curd are added and it is then mixed well and poured into clay pots.