Introduction
Dahi, or curd is an Indian fermented milk product that has been popular in the Indian subcontinent for hundreds of years. It is eaten with meals or as a refreshing summer drink. In most Indian homes, Dahi is an inseparable part of the meal. The food items include Dahi Chaval/curd rice, paratha Dahi, pulao or Biryani with Dahi Raitha, and many more.
You can do Dahi at home or buy packed Dahi from milk booths. All the milk dairies in India produce and sell packed Dahi through their retailers.
The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of India (PFA) specifies that Dahi is made by fermenting pasteurized or boiled milk using a lactic acid or bacteria culture. The fat and SNF (Solids Not Fat) content of Dahi should be the same as the milk from which it is made.
The Indian curd has names in each of the Indian languages viz. Dahi in Hindi, Mosaru in Kannada, Peragu in Telugu, Thayir in Tamil and Malayalam, Dahi in Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Odiya, Dohi in Bengali, etc.
Many Indian food items have Dahi as a major ingredient. But this article briefly discusses five popular Dahi foods in India.
The five popular Dahi foods in India are:
- Dahi Raitha
- Dahi Chaval or Curd rice
- Dahi Puri
- Dahi Vada
- Paratha Dahi.
Dahi Raita
Dahi raita is a popular side dish made by adding pieces of cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, coriander leaves, and green chili to Dahi and mixing it with salt to taste. This goes well with vegetable pulao, Biryani, and similar rice-based recipes like Bisibele Bath (a popular rice food in Karnataka).
Dahi Chaval/Curd rice
This is a simple, yet tastier food popular in Southern parts of India. It is simple to make. Add Dahi to full-cooked rice (rice can be white, brown, red, or other type), pomegranate seeds, and salt to taste. Mix well using your hand.
Temper (thadka) mustard seeds in a little ghee and mix it with the curd rice. You can add your choice of fried dry fruits. Top the Dahi rice with chopped coriander leaves. Dahi rice is ready to serve.
Note: Soaked poha may be replaced for cooked rice in the above recipe. Dahi poha will be faster to cook and equally tasty.
Dahi puri
This is a popular fast-food snack sold on street food carts. It originated in Mumbai but is available anywhere in India now. This is similar to Pani Puri, and the difference is the tamarind chutney is replaced by Dahi.
Dahi puri is a yummy, chatpata, crispy, sweet and sour, spicy snack. You can buy a pani puri kit and make it at home or buy it on a street food cart.
Dahi Vada
Vada is a deep-fried snack prepared using urad dal (black lentils) as the main ingredient. Vada soaked in Dahi is called Dahi Vada. It is a popular snack in many parts of India. The Dahi is sweetened as per your taste. You can garnish Dahi Vada using chopped coriander leaves, pomegranate seeds, etc.
Paratha Dahi
This is paratha served with plain Dahi as a side dish. It is a popular and tasty combination. Paratha, fresh Dahi, and pickles are a super combination to relish. Punjabi Dabas is very good in serving nice and fresh paratha with Dahi and pickle.
Conclusion
Dahi is a healthy and tasty fermented milk product. The good thing is you can easily make Dahi at home or buy it at Dairy outlets at an affordable price. Indian foods made with Dahi as a major ingredient are tasty and healthy. Hope this article was of interest to you.
You may read the following articles:
Difference between Dahi (curd) and Yogurt
What is Yogurt and how is it made
What is Dahi/Curd and how it is made in Dairy
Popular Fermented Milk Products in India
Caution
Dahi is a fermented milk product and contains milk. Hence, people with known or suspected problems of milk allergy and/or lactose intolerance should not consume Dahi-based products without discussing them with their doctor.
References
https://niftem.ac.in/newsite/pmfme/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PPT_dahi-processing.pdf PDF can be downloaded