Frozen flavoured yoghurt !

I have become a convert to dahi, since quite some time.When I was a kid ,I did not like it.Partly, as it used to have cream or malai & I am allergic to it. Basically ,it is all, in the mind.

Slowly & surely ,as I started working at home & in office,I realised, that dahi, was a miracle food.It is good for digestion & provides calcium.I can set it, at home, without any fuss.I read,  that home made dahi has maximum health benefits compared to that  available in the market.So this makes me & other housewives, masterchefs ! Since most of us ordinary mortals can set dahi ,we are all superhuman ! After all ,dahi is a wonder food !

Dahi can be diluted & made into chaas & lassi.It can be concentrated by removing all the water & converted into yummy shrikhand ! Moreover ,sev batata puri,vadas ,etc taste so tangy with dahi ! In Maharashtra,the leftover water remaining after making shrikhand is offered as a cool drink named ,Piyush.Even candies are made from shrikhand ! Shrikhand is said to be from Gujarat .I tasted pineapple shrikhand in Vadodara & the delicious state still lingers ! Dry fruit shrikhand is all the rage.One can also enjoy amrakhand - mango flavoured shrikhand throughout the year, if not mangoes.

Dahi ,chaaas,lassi ,shrikhand are all cooling in nature & very apt for a tropical country like ours.Moreover ,in these stressful times,they provide succour to overheated minds & bodies.Moreover frozen,falvoured yoghurt hardly requires any cooking.So it saves energy-hence, it is green as well  ! Even shrikhand needs no cooking.I feel ,flavoured dahi  is the best dessert to be consumed  .Guests will, welcome this, as it is for their well being ! Conclusion : frozen ,flavoured yoghurt is a unique dish - one of a  kind ! It can be made in a jiffy, from dahi available at home.Even a kid can add honey or sugar on dahi as a topping or even gulkand or rooh afza & a tempting, dessert coolant is ready to be savoured ! Making this, is practically effortless !

I first read about frozen  yoghurt in the press.It had become a rage in Europe & America.There were yoghurt parlours which catered to this yearning for this  healthy food - yoghurt was topped with fruits & consumed.I started pining for such dahi.I got my chance, when I visited Gulf.I brought some trays of flavoured yoghurt - peach,apricot,strawberry etc.I would eat one or two cups daily .I had got addicted ! I never felt guilty that I was devouring this alone, as my hubby & kid seemed averse to eating frozen yoghurt.

When I returned to India,I was on the lookout for a similar product.I learnt about Amul has introduced Yogi ,its flavoured yoghurt in flavours like Strawberry, banana,mango etc.I fell for it -hook,line & sinker ! I would go to grocery stores like Apna Bazaar,& buy the Amul Yogi dahi cups in dozens.I would then consume one cup daily.My love for ice creams had given way to flavoured dahi ! So ,it is healthy & a dessert as well !Other companies have copied Amul & intoduced their flavoured yoghurt variants.Amul recently introduced  probiotic yoghurts in cups.Well,health has never had it so good ! Amul Probiotic yoghurt goes by the name of  Flaavyo! It is available in flavours like misti doi,vanilla,mango,pineapple  & strawberry .As it is probiotic ,it aids in digestion & boosts immunity.It is a health food, as prevention is better than cure ! The best part is, it is so reasonably priced, for a price conscious Indian like me !

Very recently ,I learnt, that some parlours of frozen  yoghurt have opened in a place nearby.I went there & had a blast - tasting the  flavours ! I opted for fresh fruit as a topping on plain dahi .Another flavour ,I tried was blueberry -it had just a hint of sugar.This means, it can be consumed by diabetics as well, without any guilt ! It was simply superb ! I wish ,I could try out these  things at home.I do not have any dahi vending machines -just like ice cream ones.I am surely going to make flavoured dahi at home one of these days  .I  will  surf   the net & find out home based procedures ! Alternatively ,I can freeze the dahi ,scoop it out into a bowl   & top it with fresh seasonal fruits like mango ,strawberry ,banana,apple,pineapples etc.By adding fresh seasonal fruits ,I am adding fibre content of the fruit as well instead of the fruit juices ! I can also sprinkle powdered cinnamon .I can add a drop or two of honey  as well ! The possibilities are endless & so simple ! Now, I can have frozen  flavoured   dahi any time - nah, everytime !

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Dahi ,a wonder food.

Curds also called dahi in Hindi is a super food .It is easily digestible .It lends itself to many uses.It can be given to kids,old & the young & also the sick.It is full of calcium & friendly lactobacilli.

Many people may be allergic to milk but can take curds without any problem.Dahi contains bacteria which reinstates our digestion after illnesses.So ,dahi is simply excellent ! Whenever, anyone has a stomach upset ,eating curd rice is the best solution .It is also like soul food for many south Indians.Partaking of dahi rice is a signal, that the feast has ended in south India.

It need not be consumed as curd itslef.It can be diluted & made into lassi or chaas.Many falvoured lassis are available now like Mango lassi & the like. Watered curd  is also called as butter milk.Butter milk can be falvoured with jeera,pepper,fresh coriander,etal.It can be added to a variety of dishes.Even recipes can be prepared from dahi as a base.

Can anyone imagine tasty snacks dahi batata puri,dahi wadas,dahi bhalles without curds ? I ,for one, would love to survive only by eating these chat items lifelong !

Dahi, when it has turned sour can be transformed into tangy kadhi ! Some people do prefer their kadhi made with normal curds without any sour taste. Dahi can aslo be added to a variety of veggies to make many  raitas ! Raitas are really very healthy as they have dahi,& veggies in good measure.Some raitas use raw vegetables while still others use veggies which are cooked.The simple tomatar,pyaaz & cucumber raita uses raw vegetables whereas a potato ,red pumpkin,carrot raita uses cooked vegetables.Even bhindi raita boasts of bhindi fried to which dahi has been added ! Obviously ,in all the raitas where in, cooked vegetables are used,curds are added after the cooked vegetables have been cooled to room temperature.My aunt makes a raita with dahi & pomegranate seeds ! I love the pineapple raita served at restaurants.Boondi raita is a hit, with the old & the young alike ! 

Dahi is the base to making shrikhand,a sweet dish highly popular in Gujarat & Maharashtra.Nowadays,it is more innovative, with fruit shrikhand & even dry fruit shrikhand.My mother has always been using dahi as a base for making fruit salad.And believe me ,it is thicker & tastier, compared to the watery fruit salad made with milk ! 

Avial is a dish from God's own country,Kerela.Dahi  is added to an assortment of cooked veggies & a coconut green chilli mixture.My late neighbour used to make a very delicious  vegetable called " Rishi chi bhaji " on the occasion of Rishi Panchami.She would cook a mixture of different vegetables including some green leafy ones & then add a helping of curds, to it, after the mixture was cooled.I still miss, that divine taste !

I myself have fallen for this simple fermented milk product off late ! I use it in almost all dishes ! I add dahi to the dough, while I make parathas of methi  & palak .I make use of diluted dahi by adding it to upma.It gives it a fresh tanginess ! I also add dahi to pulavs & biryanis ! Dahi  gives all my rice preparations a rich & creamy texture.It comes in handy, especially ,when the food has become too spicy.Curds lessen the spiciness ! 

I tasted fruit yoghurt on my trip abroad & fell for it -hook ,line & sinker ! Nowadays,whenever I spot flavoured yoghurt in any shop,I just buy them in bulk & consume them on a daily basis !

Of late,even probiotic dahi has come into the market.I am averse to milk but take chaas regularly for maintaining my calcium levels ! I am eagerly  awaiting  a new flavoured variety of curds which is opening its shop near my home ,very soon !