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As cool as curd

Curd has many health benefits

Delicious Curd is healthy

The goodness of curds is universally accepted. They are a healthy, useful milk product. It is formed by lactic fermentation of milk. Once thought of only as health food, curd or yoghurt is now the base for frozen desserts and is used as a healthier a lternative to cream.

The word yoghurt is of Turkish origin and is believed that the first curd was made in Turkey. People who cannot drink milk may find that they can tolerate curd. Universally cow’s milk is used to make curd. But in India, buffalo milk is used extensively and in Russia, the milk of sheep, goat and mare too is used for the same purpose.

Curd is a sour milk preparation. Curd or ‘dahi’ or yoghurt is eaten as such with salt or sugar or added to other preparations. The butterfat is removed from ‘dahi’ by churning and used to make ghee. Curd has almost the same calorific value of cow’s milk. 40 per cent of lactose is converted to lactic acid. It has 3.1gm of protein, 4gm of fat, 149 mg of calcium, and 93 mg of phosphorous.

Curd is reported to have better nutritive value than milk. Though there is no increase in the fat or protein content of milk during fermentation, the digestibility of curd is more than that of milk. The calcium and phosphorous contents of curd are more easily assimilated. Curd contains more vitamins than milk. During curd formation the lactose of milk is converted into lactic acid. There is some breakdown of protein increasing the non-protein nitrogen. The fat globules coalesce and distribute them selves on the top. Physically during curd formation milk proteins are jellied and thin exudates of clear serum on the curd is seen.

The organism involved in curd formation belongs to the group of lacto bacillus and streptococci. Each of these organisms produces different levels of acidity. The formation of consistently good quality curd depends on the use of the right type of starter. A starter culture containing a combination of lactobacillus and lactococcus organisms give good results. Starters containing yeasts, mould and gas forming organisms spoil the quality of curd. When they are present, a product with a homogeneous texture or good aroma will not be obtained. There will be cracks and gas bubbles and the curd will be of poor quality and taste.

A popular curd based drink; lassi is made by beating curd with water and adding sugar or salt and spices. Srikhand, a curd based dessert is made by suspending curd in a muslin bag until all the whey is drained off. It is then sugared and coloured.

MUMTAZ KHALID ISMAIL

(Consultant nutritionist)

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