Friday, November 27, 2009
The goodness of curd
Curds are a healthy, universally useful food. It is formed by lactic fermentation of milk. Curd is esteemed for its smoothness and its pleasant and refreshing taste. It is highly versatile health promoting and valuable therapeutic foods. Once thought of only as a worthy health food, curd or yoghurt is now the base for tempting frozen desserts and is used as a healthier alternative 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 also used extensively and in Russia, the milk of sheep, goat and mare is largely 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 percent of lactose is converted to lactic acid. It has 3.1gm of protein, 4gm of fat, 149mg of calcium, and 93mg of phosphorous.
9 reasons to eat more yogurt
1.Eat your way to fat-loss. International Journal of Obesity indicates that adding one or two servings of yogurt to your daily diet can help you maximize loss of fat and minimise loss of muscle.
2.Calcium in yogurt makes this a bone-building food. Also, lactoferrin in yogurt increases the growth and activity of cells that build bone.
3.H.Pylori is the bacterium that is responsible for most stomach ulcers. The friendly bacteria in yogurt have the ability to completely block the activity of these ulcer-causing bacteria, thereby offering protection from ulcers.
4.Regular consumption of yogurt is proven to reduce vaginal yeast infections in women.
5.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that full-fat dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt may considerably reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. These dairy products are rich in a number of cancer preventing factors.
6.The friendly bacteria in yogurt have been proven to have a remarkable effect on arthritis, both preventive and curative.
7.Consuming less than half-a-cup of yogurt twice a day, reduces the level of hydrogen sulphide that is responsible for bad breath. It also eliminates tongue-coating bacteria and reduces dental plaque formation, cavities, and the risk for gum disease.
8.Yogurt is the solution for people with lactose intolerance, who cannot digest lactose, a sugar in milk products, due to enzyme deficiency. The condition is very common except among people of European ancestry. For the lactose intolerant, dairy products containing significant amounts of lactose cause diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and nausea.
9.Live bacteria for a longer life - Studies have proven that yogurt containing live bacterial cultures boost immunity and increase lifespan.
More ways to use yogurt in your diet
A bowl of fresh curd and fruits is a great way to kickstart your day.
A simple dressing of curds, salt, pepper and coriander goes with any fresh greens salad.
Use yogurt instead of fresh cream to thicken gravies in a healthier way.
Mix curds into healthier grains like broken wheat (lapsi), oats and brown rice to get a high-fibre, healthier version of ‘curd-rice’.
Boiled vegetables like cauliflower, peas or fruits like banana, pomegranate when mixed with curds makes an interesting raita.
Make fluffy pancakes for breakfast by mixing flour into buttermilk and adding a fruit of your choice.
Mix a generous spoonful of curd into the atta while binding dough for chapattis. This not only adds nutrition but also makes the chapattis softer and fluffier.
Buttermilk spiced with ginger, green chillies and pepper is a healthy alternative to colas .
Masala Mor
This is a great drink to beat the heat. It also serves as an appetising drink. Almost every Indian state has it’s own version.
Since it’s mostly water, masala mor is the best tasting low-cal drink you can have. It can pose a stiff challenge to the cloying sweetness and zero-nutrition of diet colas.
Ingredients to make 4 glasses
1 cup thick curds
5 cups water
½ inch piece fresh ginger
1 green chilli
1 tbsp chopped coriander
3-4 curry leaves
Sea salt/ Rock salt to taste
¼ tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)
Oil for tadka
Method:
1.Beat the curds to a smooth paste. Mix the water into it to make thin buttermilk.
2.With a mortar-pestle, pound the ginger and chillies with some salt. Add this and the coriander to the buttermilk.
3.Pop the mustard seeds and curry leaves in a little oil and put it into the mor.
4.Add a pinch of asafoetida and mix well using a churner. It’s best left to chill and soak up the flavours for about 30 minutes.
5.Enjoy your tall glass of masala mor or chaas or buttermilk.