curd Archives

September 7, 2023 By GOQii 5 Comments

Gopalkala Recipe – A Perfect Evening Snack

We always learn a lot from our traditions. It’s not only stories, but also practical implementations that we can do in our day to day life. There’s so much to learn from mythology and history alike. For instance, we have grown up listening to stories of Lord Krishna. We all know that Lord Krishna was brought up in Gokul, where there was plenty of milk & milk products. He was considered notorious for stealing milk, butter, and curd in his childhood. In one of the folklores, it’s mentioned that Lord Krishna used to gather all the food stuff brought by his fellows and mix it up. This gave birth to the dish – Gopalkala (Dahikala) which has different foods mixed up with curd.

We celebrate Janmashtami –Lord Krishna’s birthday, the way Lord Krishna celebrated it; With all the goodies that he liked, prepared at home. Gopalkala or Dahikala is made and given in offering to him on this occasion and then served to the rest of the people.

On the occasion of Janmashtami, let’s look at a Gopalkala Recipe. It’s easy to prepare and doesn’t involve cooking. At the same time, it’s nutritious & healthy. One can have it as an evening snack, mid meal or even as a pre-workout meal! You can even give this dish to your kids in their school tiffin box as well.

What You Will Need

Thick Poha or rice flakes – 1 bowl
Fresh curd – 1 bowl
Chopped Cucumber- ½ bowl
Groundnuts – ¼ bowl
Roasted chick pea – ¼ bowl
Pomegranate – ¼ bowl
Grated coconut/ Coconut pieces – ¼ bowl
Grated ginger – 1 tsp
Chopped Green Chillies – 1-2 tsp
Chopped coriander – 1-2 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

How To Prepare

Wash the rice flakes in a sieve and keep it aside for 5 mins. Let it get soaked
In 1 big bowl, beat the curd with sugar, salt, ginger, green chillies & coconut pieces
Add rice flakes in this bowl. Let it soak for another 5 mins
Add cucumber, groundnuts, roasted chick pea and pomegranate seeds
Mix well & top it with coriander

Nutritional Value

It’s a healthy filling snack, nutritionally well balanced.

Poha or rice flakes contribute to the carbohydrate content
Curd, groundnuts and roasted chick pea make up for the protein content
Curd is an excellent probiotic that is extremely good for gut health and digestion
While the Gopalkala recipe doesn’t require oil or ghee, it has healthy fats from groundnut (MUFA) & coconut.
It completes your salads & fruits quota too through cucumber & pomegranate. So don’t worry about the fiber, vitamins and antioxidants!

Worried about Poha being a rice product and its GI (Glycemic Index)? Please don’t! The protein, fats and fiber in it will bring down the GI. So what are you waiting for? Don’t just eat it as an offering to God but include it in your daily meals.

We hope you do try this Gopalkala recipe at home and share your thoughts with us in the comments below! Alternatively, you can also take pics of your preparation and share it with us on the GOQii Arena or our Instagram page, tagging GOQii.

For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Wish you all a happy Shri Krishna Janmashtami!

#BeTheForce

December 3, 2022 By Urvi Gohil 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: How to Prepare Thick Curd At Home

Who doesn’t enjoy a bowl of curd? With its many health benefits and the million different ways in which you can consume it, curd is almost irreplaceable. Did you ever wonder how curd came to be discovered? Was it made with intention?

History suggests that curd, like many other fermented milk products, was discovered by accident! It was primarily due to milk being left unattended for a long time which initiated curdling. Basically, the milk began souring as a result of microbial action. A microorganism called Lactobacillus is responsible for the curdling of milk.

Curd is considered to be a superfood as it is rich in proteins, provides the body with Vitamin B and Calcium and is a fantastic Probiotic and is good for the gut. However, there are many who still struggle to make good thick curd at home and dependent on packaged curd.

So let us learn to make thick, perfect curd at home!

What You Will Need

Milk – 500 ml
Curd – 2 tsp
Water – 2 tsp

How to Prepare Thick Curd

In a pan add milk and allow it to boil. Keep stirring it lightly.
After the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it cool down.
Now take a bowl, add 2 tsp of curd and 2 tsp water & whisk it together.
Once the milk cools down, remove the cream from the milk and strain the milk in a bowl.
In the strained milk, add 2 tbsp of curd + water mixture & mix well.
Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm and dry space for 4-5 hours to set.
Refrigerate the curd for an hour before you serve it.

Things to Keep in Mind

Do not use skim milk for making curd, it will be runny.
The milk should not be very hot when you add culture in it otherwise the curd will coagulate
Never forget to remove cream

Benefits of Homemade Thick Curd

Curd which is commercially available is the result of a straining process that removes the liquid whey, resulting in thicker curd.
In its traditional form, the curd is far more nutrient-dense and is rich in high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics and cancer-fighting linoleic acid.
Poor quality milk is used to produce most commercial curd, which can be a concern.

What if You Do Not Have Starter Curd?

Take boiled milk in a vessel and reheat it a little for making the starter curd. Use lukewarm milk. Now, pour little amount of milk in 3 different bowls for making the starter curd.
In one cup of milk drop 2 green chilies. It is very important to have the stalk attached to the chilies for making the starter curd and make sure it is submerged completely in the milk.
In second cup of milk, add 2 red chilies and submerge it completely.
In third cup of milk, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and mix it well.
Cover all the three cups of milk and store in a warm place for 12 hours.

Making starter curd is little time-consuming. Its not as good when compared to Dahi and is only used in making the curd.

Here you go! Try this natural and healthy way to make thick curd at home and don’t rely on packaged curd. Do share your experience in the comments below!

For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce