Curd, also dahi, is a traditional

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

fermented milk product Fermented milk products or fermented dairy products, also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products, or cultured milk products, are dairy foods that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria such as ''Lactobacillus'', '' Lactococ ...

, originating from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

, usually prepared from

cow's milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

, and sometimes

buffalo milk The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

, or

goat milk Goat milk is the milk of domestic goats. Goats produce about 2% of the world's total annual milk supply. Some goats are bred specifically for milk. Goat milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream will stay i ...

. It is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. The word ''curd'' is used in Indian English to refer to (naturally

probiotic Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria- host ...

) homemade yogurt, while the term ''yogurt'' refers to the

pasteurized Pasteurization American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mi ...

commercial variety known as ''heat treated fermented milk''.Codex Alimentarius Yogurt rules

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

Preparation

Curd is made by bacterial fermentation of milk. In this process lactose in milk is converted into

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as nat ...

by several probiotic

microorganism A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...

s. The species involved in the fermentation depends on the temperature and humidity of the environment, and may include ''

Lactococcus lactis ''Lactococcus lactis'' is a Gram-positive bacterium used extensively in the production of buttermilk and cheese, but has also become famous as the first genetically modified organism to be used alive for the treatment of human disease. ''L. lact ...

'', ''Streptococcus diacetylactis'', '' Streptococcus cremoris'', ''

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ''Lactobacillus delbrueckii'' subsp. ''bulgaricus'' (until 2014 known as ''Lactobacillus bulgaricus'') is one of over 200 published species in the ''Lactobacillus'' genome complex (LGC) and is the main bacterium used for the production of yogurt. ...

'' and ''

Streptococcus thermophilus ''Streptococcus thermophilus'' also known as ''Streptococcus salivarius ''subsp.'' thermophilus'' is a gram-positive bacterium, and a fermentative facultative anaerobe, of the '' viridans'' group. It tests negative for cytochrome, oxidase, an ...

''. Curd starter is sometimes made with dried red chillies (or their stems) in hot milk. Milk is boiled and then allowed to cool for a while. When lukewarm, dried chili peppers or their stems are added. The reason for this tradition is that dried chillies are rich in a type of lactobacilli, the bacteria that helps in fermentation of milk to form curd. The bowl is then kept undisturbed in a warm place for 5 to 10 hours. After the starter is made, or saved from a previous batch of curd, milk is boiled and cooled. In a separate bowl curd is mixed with its

whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of har ...

, and then mixed together with the milk. It is then left to sit undisturbed for 5 to 10 hours. For best results, add 3% skim milk powder. Premix 3% good curd in milk, then add to the rest. Keep at 40-45C, covered with cloth to avoid cooling. Put in fridge only when it's slightly sour. Avoid harmful bitter taste. Don't reuse bitter curd. This practice can also be applied for making curd from

milk substitute A milk substitute is any substance that resembles milk and can be used in the same ways as milk. Such substances may be variously known as non-dairy beverage, nut milk, grain milk, legume milk, mock milk and alternative milk. For adults, milk ...

s, such as

soy milk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...

Types

Buffalo curd

Buffalo curd ( si, මුදවාපු මී කිරි ''mudavāpu meekiri'') is a traditional type of

prepared from

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

milk. It is popular throughout the

. Buffalo milk is traditionally considered better for making yogurt than cow milk due to its higher fat content making a thicker yogurt mass. Buffalo curd is usually packaged in clay pots. Buffalo curd is obtained by bacterial fermentation of buffalo milk. In this process lactose in buffalo milk is converted into

using several

micro-organism A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...

s. The species involved in the fermentation are the same as above. Buffalo milk has a higher amounts of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

fat In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...

, lactose,

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

s and

vitamin A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrie ...

s than cow's milk. Quality of the curd depends on the starter culture. Fermentation also develops the characteristic flavor and colour of the product. Buffalo curd can be made in both traditional and industrial forms. 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. These are sealed by wrapping a piece of paper over the pot and allowing it to stand for 12 hours.

Curd dishes

Vegetarian Dinner served on the Shatabdi Express

Curd is an important part of everyday diet in the

, both in slow cooked food and fast food. ;Slow (cooked) food: *

Curd rice Curd rice, also called yogurt rice, is a dish originating from India. The word "curd" in Indian English refers to unsweetened probiotic yogurt. It is most popular in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala , Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra ...

* Dahi

kadhi Kadhi or karhi is a dish popularly consumed in South Asia. It consists of a thick gravy based on gram flour, and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which dahi (yogurt) is added to give it a bit of sour taste. It is often eaten wit ...

– curd curry * Doi maach – fish in curd curry, Bengali dish * Dahi baigan/Kathrikai thayir kothsu – Eggplant with curd, south Indian cuisine *

Kadhi bari Kadhi bari or bari kadhi is a South Asian vegetarian curry, made up of gram flour, ''dahi'' and spices. This vegetarian dish is popular in Uttarkhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh states of India as well as in Bagmati, Lumbini, Madhesh an ...

– a curd curry popular in Northern India and Southern Nepal. * Perugu Pachadi – curd-based dip,

Andhra Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

dish * Thepla – served with plain curd, Gujrati dish Dahi puri, Doi phuchka

;Fast food *

Dahi vada Dahi vada is a type of '' chaat'' (snack) originating from the Indian state of Karnataka. It is prepared by soaking vadas (fried lentil balls) in thick dahi (yogurt). Names Dahi vada is also known as "dahi vade" () in Marathi, ''dahi barey/dah ...

/ Dahi bhalla – Vada soaked in curd * Dahi chiura – curd mixed with chiura, sugar and/or seasonal fruits, a Nepalese/ Bihari snack *

Lassi Lassi () is a regional name for buttermilk, the traditional dahi (yogurt)–based drink, consumed in the South Asian region. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit. Salty lassi is similar to doogh, while modern sweet l ...

– curd mixed with water and sweetener, usually sugar or molasses. *

Chaas Chaas ( gu:છાશ ''chhash'', hi:छाछ ''chhachh'') is a curd-based drink popular across the Indian subcontinent. In Rajasthani it is called ''ghol,'' in Odia it is called ''Ghol/Chaash,'' ''moru'' in Tamil and Malayalam, ''taak'' in M ...

Borhani Borhani, ( bn, বোরহানী) is a traditional yogurt-like drink from Bangladesh. Borhani is made from sour doi, green chilli, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint. It is considered by some to be a type of lassi. It is very commo ...

- curd mixed with water and

Sea salt Sea salt is salt that is produced by the evaporation of seawater. It is used as a seasoning in foods, cooking, cosmetics and for preserving food. It is also called bay salt, solar salt, or simply salt. Like mined rock salt, production of sea sa ...

, black salt or

Himalayan salt Himalayan salt is rock salt (halite) mined from the Punjab region of Pakistan. The salt, which often has a pinkish tint due to trace minerals, is primarily used as a food additive to replace refined table salt but is also used for cooking and fo ...

. It is also known as

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most m ...

. *

- curd mixed with coriander and mint, Bangladeshi drink * Papri chaat *

Dahi puri Dahi puri is an Indian snack food which is especially popular in the state of Maharashtra. The dish is a type of chaat and originates from the city of Mumbai. It is served with mini-puri shells (''golgappa''), which are also used for the dish pa ...

– variation of

Panipuri Panipuri (originally known as ''jalapatra'' from Mahabharata times) (), phuchka (), gupchup, golgappa, or ''pani ke patashe'' is a type of snack originating in the Indian subcontinent, where it is an extremely common street food. Ingredients ...

, using curd instead of tamarind water * Dahi bhelpuri – variation of

bhelpuri Bhelpuri is a savoury snack originating from India, and is also a type of chaat. It is made of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce, and has a crunchy texture. Bhel is often identified as a 'beach snack', strongly associated wit ...

, with curd on top * Aloo tikki – plain curd is a side dish for aloo tikki * Aloo paratha – plain curd is a side dish for aloo paratha *

Mishti doi Mishti doi ( bn, মিষ্টি দই) or Mitha Dahi ( or, ମିଠା ଦହି) is a fermented sweet dahi (yogurt) originating from the Bogra District in Bangladesh and is a very popular dessert throughout the country. It is also consum ...

– curd that is fermented after adding sweetener to milk, usually cane jaggery or date palm jaggery, a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

dessert. *

Raita Raita is a side dish in Indian cuisine made of dahi (yogurt, often referred to as curd) together with raw or cooked vegetables, more seldom fruit, or in the case of boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan ( chickpea flour, ...

– side dish for

biryani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and usually some type of meat ( chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, fish) or in some cases without any meat, ...

Chukauni Chukauni () is a Nepalese side dish originated around the Palpa district of western Nepal. It is made from boiled potatoes, yogurt, onion, coriander and spices. It is a popular type of salad and eaten mainly as a side dish with roti, sel roti, s ...

– a Nepalese side dish made up of curd and potatoes with spices

References

External links