Dahi

Dahi in a traditionalManipuri earthen pot
Alternative names	Curd,doi,mosaru,perugu,thayir,mee kiri
Course	Homemade yogurt
Place of origin	Indian subcontinent
Region or state	South Asia
Associatedcuisine	Bangladesh,India,Nepal,Pakistan,Sri Lanka
Main ingredients	Milk,Lactobacillus culture
Ingredients generally used	Sugar
Variations	Mishti doi,Nabadwip-er lal doi,Dhau
Media: Dahi

Dahi orcurd, alsomosaru,dahi,thayir andperugu, is a traditionalyogurt orfermented milk product originating from and popular throughout theIndian subcontinent. It is usually prepared from cows'milk, and sometimesbuffalo milk orgoat milk.^[1] The wordcurd is used inIndian English to refer tohomemade yogurt,^[2][3] while the termyogurt refers to thepasteurizedcommercial variety known as "heat-treated fermented milk".^[4]

Curd is made by bacterialfermentation of milk. In this process,lactose in milk is converted intolactic acid by several probioticmicroorganisms. The species involved in the fermentation depends on the temperature and humidity of the environment and may includeLactococcus lactis,Streptococcus diacetylactis,Streptococcus cremoris,Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus andStreptococcus thermophilus.

Curdstarter is sometimes made with driedred chillies (or their stems) in hot milk. Milk is boiled and then allowed to cool for a while. When tepid, dried chili peppers or their stems are added. The reason for this tradition is that dried chillies are rich ina type of lactobacilli, the bacteria which help ferment 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 itswhey, and then mixed together with the milk. It is then left to sit undisturbed for 5 to 10 hours, until slightly sour, then refrigerated until consumption.

This practice can also be applied for making curd frommilk substitutes, such assoy milk.^[5]

Buffalo curd (Sinhala:මුදවාපු මී කිරිmudavāpu meekiri) is a traditional type ofyogurt prepared fromwater buffalo milk. It is popular throughout theIndian subcontinent. Buffalo milk is traditionally considered better for making yogurt than cow milk due to its higher fat content making a thicker yogurt mass.^[6] Buffalo curd is usually packaged inclay pots.

Buffalo curd is obtained by bacterial fermentation of buffalo milk. In this process,lactose in buffalo milk is converted intolactic acid using severalmicro-organisms. The species involved in the fermentation are the same as above.

Buffalo milk has higher amounts ofprotein,fat,lactose,minerals andvitamins than cow's milk. The quality of the curd depends on the starter culture. Fermentation also develops the characteristic flavor and color 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.^[7]

Curd is an important part of everyday diet in theIndian subcontinent, both in slow cooked food and fast food.

Slow (cooked) food

• Curd rice
• Dahikadhi – curd curry
• Doi maach – fish in curd curry, a Bengali dish
• Dahi baigan/Kathrikai thayir kothsu – Eggplant with curd, south Indian cuisine
• Kadhi bari – a curd curry popular in Northern India andSouthern Nepal.
• Perugu Pachadi – a curd-based dip, anAndhra dish
• Thepla – served with plain curd, aGujarati dish

Fast food

• Dahi vada /Dahi bhalla^[8] –Vada soaked in curd
• Dahi chiura – curd mixed withchiura, sugar and/or seasonal fruits, aNepalese/Bihari snack
• Lassi – curd mixed with water and sweetener, usually sugar or molasses.
• Chaas/Borhani - curd mixed with water andSea salt,black salt orHimalayan salt. It is also known asbuttermilk.
• Borhani - curd mixed with coriander and mint, aBangladeshi drink
• Papri chaat
• Dahi puri – a variation ofPanipuri, using curd instead of tamarind water
• Dahi bhelpuri – a variation ofbhelpuri, 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 – curd that is fermented after adding sweetener to milk, usually canejaggery or datepalm jaggery, aBengali dessert.
• Raita – a side dish forbiryani
• Ghoḷa Dahi/Ghoḷa- a strong-to-mild ginger infused with ginger and pepper, a characteristicOdia drink.
• Chukauni – a Nepalese side dish made up of curd and potatoes with spices

• Curd rice
• Dadiah
• Dhau

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDahi.

• Curd and treacle
• Curd pots

• Yogurts
• Bangladeshi desserts
• Bengali desserts
• Indian cuisine
• Pakistani cuisine
• Nepalese cuisine
• Sri Lankan desserts and sweets
• Fermented dairy products
• Indian dairy products
• Indo-Caribbean cuisine

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Sinhala-language text
• Commons category link is on Wikidata