A tried and tested recipe for making perfect ginger milk curd, a popular Cantonese dessert with an interesting flavour and silky texture.
A dessert with unusual flavour
I fell in love with ginger milk curd “at first taste” years ago. Its unusual flavour combination and the silky, slippery texture was a new experience on my palate. I didn’t realize back then that it was so simple to make.
You only need ginger, milk and sugar, without using any curdling agent or any sophisticated culinary technique. However, producing a curd with the right texture is a tricky business. Through trial and error, I’ve finally found a formula to make the perfect ginger milk curd.
A “magical” curdling process
Originating in Shawan town, Guangdong province in China, ginger milk curd (姜汁撞奶) is one of the most popular desserts in Cantonese cuisine. The literal meaning of its Chinese name is “ginger juice bumping into milk”. As the name suggests, you simply pour hot milk onto ginger juice, then you’ll have a bowl of curd. It’s rather magical, isn’t it? This is how Wikipedia explains its biochemical principle:
“Ginger contains the protease zingipain. When milk is added to ginger juice, this protease catalyses denaturation of the protein in the milk, changing it from a water-soluble form to a water-insoluble form, and leads to the formation of milk curd. ”
It was purely out of curiosity that I first tried to make this dessert. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I couldn’t always guarantee success. Sometimes I would end up with a bowl of lumpy milk or even just liquid. In order to find a fail-proof formula, I’ve done lots of research and kitchen experiments. Finally, I’ve found the solutions.
The best ratio of ginger juice, milk and sugar
Too much ginger juice will make the dessert too spicy to enjoy, then you will need quite a bit of sugar to balance the flavour. If the ginger juice is not enough, the curdling process won’t be triggered.
In my recipe, I use 1 tablespoon of ginger juice for 200ml milk. This way the curd is firm enough and the spiciness is compensated with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
It creates an ideal taste for me personally (like most Chinese, I don’t have a sweet tooth). If you like it sweeter, I suggest pouring a little honey over the curd as ginger and honey is a classic flavour combination.
The optimum temperature for the milk
I’ve found many recipes with vague instructions: “the milk is hot to touch with your tongue but won’t burn you”, “heat up the milk until it almost boils”, “the milk should be at 70-80°C”, etc. It doesn’t always work when following those recipes. Eventually, I bought a kitchen thermometer (that was £2.99 well spent) to experiment. 70°C/158°F appeared to be the right answer.
Apart from heating the milk on a stove, I also tried using a microwave. For an 800-watt microwave like mine, you need 1 minute and 40 seconds to heat the milk (chilled) to an ideal temperature (add the sugar halfway through). If your microwave has a different wattage, please see the conversion suggestion in recipe note.
Volià! That’s it! To me, cooking is an art. However, my ginger milk curd experiments remind me that it’s also a scientific endeavour.
Fail-proof ginger milk curd (姜汁撞奶)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ginger juice - from about 30g ginger
- 200 ml fresh milk - see note 1
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- Honey and fresh berries - optional
Instructions
Prepare the ginger juice
- Peel and finely grate the ginger. Press grated ginger through a sieve placed on top of a small bowl. You need to get about 1 tablespoon of ginger juice.
Heat up the milk
- Option A: If you have a kitchen thermometerHeat the milk in a saucepan. Stir in sugar when milk is warm. Closely observe the temperature on the thermometer. When it reaches 70°C/158°F, remove the pan from the heat.
- Option B: If you have a microwaveHeat chilled milk (out of the fridge right before using) in a container on full power (800-watt, see note 2 for power conversion) for 1 minute. Take it out and stir in the sugar. Then microwave for a further 40 seconds.
Make the curd
- When the milk is ready, stir the ginger juice with a spoon. Pour the milk quickly onto the juice.
- Leave to set. Do not move the bowl or stir the milk. The curd will be fully set in about 10 minutes.
Serve the curd
- You may serve it warm (traditional way) or cold (what I prefer). If you wish, pour a little honey on top and decorate with fresh berries before serving.
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Jessica says
I tried this today. I love how strong the ginger taste was but unfortunately like some of the comments, it didn’t set for me (top started to form).
I used 1% milk. Should I be checking the temperature in the center of the pot or tilted to the side?
I would love to try again.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Hi Jessica! I would suggest you use milk with higher fat content. To check the temperature, place the tip of the thermometer in the centre of the milk without touching the bottom or side of the pot.
Curious says
How long does this last in the fridge if I make extra? thanks!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
I think you can keep it in the fridge for up to two days.
Margarito says
The first time I attempted the recipe, I used 50 milk 50 cream, and the recipe turned out fine. I would’ve liked it a little firmer but it still worked. I attempted it today with 2% milk, and it didn’t work. I might have to add more ginger for the curdling to occur.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Yes, try making it with a little more ginger juice. Good luck!
Alice says
I’ve tried it twice, i failed the first time i think i put a little bit to much milk and I also poured ginger juice onto the milk instead of pouring milk on the ginger juice. I reread your recipe again, and this time it was perfect. I really enjoyed it. Thank you.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
It can be tricky to get it right. But once you know the trick, it’s super simple!
a says
I have tried this recipe twice now and very sadly the milk has not set whatsoever. I am really looking forward to eating this……. I use whole milk.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Sorry to hear that! Whole milk works well. Have you followed my recipe precisely (the quantity, the temperature, etc.)? I would need more information to troubleshoot.
Yanyan says
Easy and very tasty!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Thanks Yanyan! Yes, it’s such a simple yet delightful treat.
Liz says
Worked perfectly! Glad to have the exact measurements to rely on. Thank you!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
My pleasure to share! I had ginger milk curd today at its birth place in Canton. Yum!
Jackie says
Thank you for the recipe! I tried it yesterday, and it was a success. I used 2% milk and added two additional tablespoons of non-fat milk powder. The curd was pretty firm on the top and more tender on the bottom. I actually thought it tasted a bit too gingery, so I’ll play around with the amount of ginger juice next time. By the way, I used fresh ginger roots and it worked just fine. I noticed a powdery sediment in my ginger juice and assumed that’s why it needs to be stirred before pouring hot milk over. Thanks again for the delicious recipe!
P.S. I heard if the mixture doesn’t set, one could steam it for a few minutes to form the perfect curd.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Thank you very much Jackie for trying out my recipe and sharing your experience and tricks. My readers will appreciate your input.
Jen says
oh, haha, you actually never ascribed the pronunciation “chong” or “dun.” Just the word was already in my head as I’ve been reading multiple web pages. My bad.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Hi Jen! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with my readers. I speak Mandarin so I pronounce the character 撞 Zhuang which means “to bump into”. This is indeed a unique cooking technique. I agree that the finished dish should be set but wouldn’t be as firm as the usual custard/jelly type of dessert and you do need to use fresh ginger juice at room temperature to succeed.
Jen says
Another thought I had was I’ve read of westerners using frozen ginger. That could be another mode of failure as freezing could weaken or destroy the ginger enzymes.