Place a cheese cloth on a colander and add the yogurt on it. Then grab the edges of the cloth and squeeze it gently to drain off the excess water. Keep it aside for at least an hour.

Take a deep sauce pan that can hold the total quantity of the milk. Add milk and bring it to a boil with occasional stirring.

Milk should reduce to almost half the quantity. Add in 1/4 cup sugar to this and mix.

To another pan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup sugar. leave it undisturbed until it melts and changes to orange colour. If you are caramelising sugar for the first time, it can be tricky. So, cover the pan and let it simmer in medium high heat. The steam will not be able to escape and hence it will create condensation which will avoid the crystallisation of the sugar. Keep an eye and lift the lid occasionally to notice the change of colour.

As soon as the colour changes to mild orange, add 2 tablespoons water & mix well until the colour changes to a slightly dark shade. Turn off the heat.

Add this caramelised sugar to the reduced boiling milk and stir until well blended. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.

Let the milk cool just until it is lukewarm (but not hot). The milk should just be hot enough so you can dip your finger comfortably.

Once the milk has cooled down, take the hung yogurt out of the cloth to a bowl and whisk it.

Then pour little bit of the warm milk to the yogurt and whisk until it's smooth. To this add a little cardamom powder for flavour & whisk again.

It's time to add lukewarm milk to the yoghurt mixture. I would recommend straining the milk for a a smooth & creamy doi. but, this is optional.

Pour the entire milk to the yogurt mixture and whisk until you see no lump.

Pour the mixture to your choice of container. Could be earthenware, ceramic, glass or even steel.

Cover with aluminium foil. Place it in a bowl with a kitchen towel & wrap in layers to trap heat.

Place it in a warm place undisturbed for 8 to 10 hours for the yoghurt to set.

It took me about 10 hours to set as I live in a cold place. Once yoghurt is firm, place it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to further set and cool down.