Dahee…yogurt

PRADEEP and Indira are up at the crack of dawn to tend to their small cattle farm in Mon Desir, Rousillac. Lucky for them, their animals graze in a small savannah about five minutes from their home, in a secluded and sheltered area where there are no automobile emissions.

After milking their cows, they both return to their home with the fresh cow’s milk. Pradeep then goes off to his day job with the city corporation and Indira remains at home to begin her daily job of preparing the milk for sale.

She bottles some of it and refrigerates it right away to supply her customers who come each day to purchase fresh cow’s milk. The milk is not pasteurised, but upon bringing it home, you are instructed to boil it well for about 20 minutes before consuming.

The rest of the milk Indira makes into fresh yogurt more commonly called dahee on this island. But this is yogurt like no other, the taste, smoky with hints of caramel. This type of yogurt is touted to be especially good for digestive and intestinal health.

Indira’s method is quite unique and very traditional; she pours the milk into a huge iron pot and sits this on an open fire in an immaculately clean shed at the back of her house. She boils this milk for about 12 hours, turning ever so often. After a while the cream begins to separate and rises to the top.

She skims off this cream and saves it in a glass jar. She continues to boil the milk until much of the water has evaporated, at this point the colour changes from lily white to beige. The milk is then cooled and mixed with a small amount of yogurt or dahee from another set. This then is allowed to ferment overnight in a cool area. The next day she has a beautiful, creamy yogurt. Which she bottles, refrigerates and sells.

The cream that was skimmed off the top of the boiling milk is collected in the glass jar, when this jar is full, it is churned by hand and ghee, or “cattle” butter as it is fondly called, is made. This is also bottled and sold. It is sometimes used in culinary but it is mostly sold to be used in Hindu prayers.

This small cottage industry is indeed quite successful as all the product is sold each day. The freshness of the milk and yogurt is what makes these dairy products so healthy and delicious.

My first encounter with dahee was a few years ago when a friend gave me a bottle to try. Discerningly I did and have never turned back. I have also come to realise in my aggressive hunt on this island for dahee that not all providers make it the correct way. When the milk is not boiled long enough to allow the water to evaporate, the dahee begins to separate in your bottle, and soon afterwards it spoils.

Good dahee, made the correct way, will stay refrigerated for up to three months. Indira’s dahee does just that, and provides a wonderful healthy and natural alternative to store-bought yogurt. Many enjoy dahee on its own, with some fresh fruit mixed in and sweetened with a hint of brown sugar. But for me, I enjoy it every night with some honey and that’s my little bit of heaven!

If you can’t find local dahee, then its just as easy to make your yogurt at home, here’s how:

Yogurt

6 cups milk (any type)

1/2 cup evaporated milk

3 tbs powdered skimmed milk (or full cream)

2 tbs natural unflavoured yogurt

Boil milk until frothy, cool to 109F stir in evaporated milk and powdered milk.

Stir in yogurt and strain into a glass container.

Cover and let stand undisturbed for 12 hours in a warm part of your kitchen, ovens are good here.

Stir the yogurt, it will be thick almost like pourable custard.

Refrigerate and sweeten if desired.

Thick, store-bought yogurt usually containers stabilisers and thickeners to get it to that very thick consistency.

Makes 7 cups.

Yogurt Cheese

4 cups natural yogurt

Place yogurt into a yogurt strainer (looks like a coffee filter)

Suspend over a jug, cover and leave for 12 hours. The whey or water ill drip into the jug, discard.

The cheese will be thick with the consistency of soft cream cheese.

Cover and refrigerate. Use in place of cream cheese and in salads,

Wendy’s Cooking classes

Pastelle-making workshop, ideal for small caterers or home cooks.

October 6, 9-12 pm,

357-0927 rahamut@gmail.com