Indian dairy products

Indian cuisine is renowned for its diverse range of dairy products, many of which are exclusive to the Indian subcontinent. Dairy is deeply integrated into the culinary and cultural fabric of India, featuring in everyday meals, festive dishes, and religious rituals. Indian dairy products can primarily be divided into curdled products and non-curdled products, each with its unique preparations and flavor profiles.

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Curdled Dairy Products

Villager and calf share milk from cow in Rajasthan, India

Paneer

Paneer

• Paneer is an unaged, non-melting farmer cheese. It is acid-set using agents like lemon juice or vinegar. Once curdled, the whey is drained, and the remaining curd is pressed into blocks. Paneer is often used in savory and sweet dishes alike.

Milk boiling for house warming

Chhena

Coconut milk and badam payasam kheer India Sweets

• Chhena bears resemblance to paneer. However, it retains some whey, and the curd is beaten until soft and malleable. This base is used for several sweets.

Sandesh

Indian Milk Sweet

• Sandesh is a confection made by mixing chhena with sugar. After a brief caramelization, it is shaped into balls or other forms.

Rasgulla

• Rasgulla is a spongy, syrup-soaked ball made from a mixture of chhena and semolina.

Non-curdled Dairy Products

Khoa/Mawa

• Khoa or Mawa is obtained by simmering milk in an open pan until it reduces to a thick, granulated residue.

Peda

• Peda is a sweet made by blending sugar with khoa and often spiced with cardamom.

Barfi

• Barfi is a dense confection prepared by reducing milk with sugar and is frequently flavored with ingredients like pistachio.

Gulab Jamun

• Gulab jamun is made by deep-frying balls of khoa mixed with sugar and then drenching them in rose-flavored syrup.

Kulfi

• Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream made by slowly freezing sweetened condensed milk, resulting in a dense and creamy dessert.

Ghee

• Ghee is a clarified butter, simmered until the milk sugars caramelize, imparting a nutty flavor.

Fermented Dairy Products

Mishti Doi

• Mishti doi is a sweetened yogurt variant.

Shrikhand

• Shrikhand is a creamy dessert made from strained yogurt, sugar, and flavors like cardamom or saffron.

Wheyvit

• Wheyvit is an alcoholic drink made from whey fermented with yeast.Citation needed

Other Dairy Products

Kheer

• Kheer is a dessert made by simmering rice or broken wheat in milk, sweetened with sugar, and garnished with ingredients like cardamom, raisins, or pistachios.

Chhena Murki

• Chhena murki is a dessert consisting of chhena cubes, fried and then soaked in a cardamom-flavored syrup.Citation needed

Pantooa

• Pantooa is similar to gulab jamun, but with chhena incorporated into the base mixture.

Conclusion

Indian dairy products are a testament to the nation's rich culinary heritage. From curdled cheeses to sweet confections and fermented delicacies, the diversity of these dairy-based items adds depth and flavor to Indian cuisine.

See Also

• Indian cuisine
• Dairy
• Cheese

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