Punjabi Dahi (Curd) Recipe

AprilFlower

I am desperately trying to figure out how to make Punabi Dahi. My family is trying to get me to eat curd because I start breaking out terribly as soon as it starts to warm up. They are sure by eating this "cool" food I will be able to get rid of my skin problems.

I'm looking for something similiar in taste to Amul Masti Dahi. I know how to make regular curd but I am hoping someone can tell me what the secret is in making this thicker curd.

It would be very helpful if you could be very specific about which type of milk (cow/buffalo,lowfat etc) is used as well as how long it should take to set, which type of container you use to make it etc. I really hate the sour somewhat loose kind that is usually consumed in my area.

namaste_cat

This Punjabi girl makes dahi using a machine, but you can use my tips to make 'em the old-fashioned way. Basically the machine just keeps it at the right temp so no biggie.

Things that give yogurt/curd a thicker texture are -
higher level of milk fat i.e. whole milk
using dry milk powder in lieu of some of the milk, &
heating the milk longer e.g. 20 minutes vs 10 mins.

I don't personally do this, but it's one way to get a thicker texture - mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in a a few tsps of milk for 5 minutes, then into rest of warmed milk (after it is removed from stove).

I sometimes also add 2 Tbsps honey (per 4 cups, or however many ml that comes to) to make the curd less sour. It's very subtle and doesn't give it a sweet taste just blunts the sourness.

Making dahi is easy and complicated at the same time Things came to come together just right, so it helps to know the processes at work, but once you get it down, it's easy from then on.

First few times, i tested pH b/c ideal should be 4.6. Other things to check for - don't let it incubate too long b/c the longer it sits, the more acidic it becomes (hence the pH check) i.e. more sour and more whey. Once I got the timing down on that (turned out to be 5 hrs), and refrigerated the container right away, I was able to achieve and maintain the right taste.

Good luck, and hope you get good results. Nothing like home-made dahi. My hubby never ate yogurt till he met me, and now he'd put any Punjabi to shame w/ his dahi eating and lassi-drinking

Ali-Monbeam

What would I use to start it off in the UK. Obviously once its got going i would have some to save each time.
Do you have any suggestions.?

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namaste_cat

I used a starter for my 1st batch, and even now, I'll add a new packet to refresh/add in new good bacteria every few months or so. Hmm, didn't see this on amazon UK but this should point you in the right direction:
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=yogurt%20st arter&index=blended

P.S. for those in the U.S., who want to buy a commercial brand, there is a dairy in Jamaica, NY that makes delicious indian-style yogurt called "Desi Dahi" It's really delicious!

Edited to add - indian stores carry it

goangoangone

I make a litre at a time using skimmed milk powder. I heat the milk to just below boiling and allow to cool 'til warm to the touch. Just add 2 tablespoons room temperature live curds/yoghurt. The longer you leave it, the thicker it becomes and the more sour it is. When your batch is getting low, make a new one adding 2 tablespoons of the old curds.

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AprilFlower

Namaste_cat and Goan... thanks for the advice. I will give both methods a try and see what works best. I have never tried the extra boiling or using powdered milk. What kind of store do you buy the milk powder from? Any particular brand you like?

goangoangone

I haven't tried yet, but maybe it would be OK to add sweetener or sugar and/or pureed fruit or small dice fruit. Stir it in after you've got the right consistency.

abracax

1. Add Carnation milk to the mix.
2. Put the dahi in an unglazed clay or earthenware pot, which will draw out the liquid slowly to give it that nice thick consistency.
3. If you don't have a clay pot, put the finished dahi in a one-cup Melitta coffee filter holder with filter, set it over a container to catch the liquid and put in the fridge overnight. Add maple syrup to taste.
This is actually the recipe for Bengali dahi, but Punjabi is pretty much the same thing. They don't use them clay pots for nothing.

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AprilFlower

I think I just gained 20 pounds (or 9kg) reading that recipe. Sounds scrumptious. I have a terrible sweet tooth and I love mutho so I'll have to try this. I haven't seen any maple syrup in my region though so it may have to wait until the next time I'm home in the states.

I have read somewhere that adding some fruits as well as sugar actually screws up the bacteria or PH and it becomes less healthy (or maybe not at all?). I remember banana was still fine but others were not. Any nutrition experts out there? Not that I'm going to stop eating the sweatened version all together...

pontesnm

You are supposed to gain weight after marriage in India; did you not read the manual (that used to be the traditional view at least but is no longer the case in bigger cities at least).

What you describe is referred to in India as "prickly heat" I quickly looked up the ingredients (zinc oxide and boric acid) and it looks like prickly heat is caused by fungal proliferation on skin surface.

Ali-Monbeam

I tought prickly heat WAS a skin condition???

AprilFlower

See, the difference was that I didn't spend the 2 or 3 years before my marriage fasting and dieting so that I could capture the perfect guy .

Actually, I am very sceptical about it being prickly heat/heat rash. I think I have had that a few times on the backs of my knees and that is really much more painful and more...rash like . This is not that severe and boric acid is generally not very successful in helping deal w/ it. Multani mati and calamine lotion seem to work to some degree but then I can't walk around looking like a ghost or a strawberry all the time .

Ali-Monbeam

I find taking an antihisthamine tablet helps too.

NITI SHARMA

Curd Making.
Use FULL CREAM MILK of any brand.AMUL,MOTHER DAIRY OR ANY.
Heat it to make it little warm.Put off the flame.(To check put ur finger in the milk and if u can keep it there for 10 seconds then the warmth is perfect).
Add 1-2 tbsp of local curd.Mix well and keep aside for 6 to 8 hrs undisturbed.
When curd is set keep the dish in refrigerator for again 6-8 hrs.
Now use the delicious curd.
Note:
Buy little curd from any local dairy.( Branded curd like Amul and others will not give u the original flavour ).
For 1 L full cream milk use 1 to 2 tbsp of local dairy curd.
For curd setting use any dish of steel/plasic material.

urwepocf

It looks good.