By -Nikky Sureka,Dairy entrepreneur, Indore.
Since time immemorial, a significant proportion of milk has been used in India for preparing a wide variety of dairy delicacies — an unending array of sweets and other specialties from different regions of the country. In the process, the basic limitation of milk — its perishable nature — has been tastefully overcome. Its processing aims to extend the shelf-life of milk, while converting it into mouth-watering tit-bits. Thus, diverse methods to prepare as well as preserve milk products have been developed. An estimated 50 to 55 per cent of the milk produced in India is converted into a variety of traditional milk products, using processes such as coagulation (heat and/or acid), desiccation and fermentation. Over the millennia, these processes have largely remained unchanged, being in the hands of halwais, the traditional sweetmeat makers, who form the core of this cottage industry.
Although 46 per cent of the milk produced in the country is consumed as liquid milk, increase in consumption can be stimulated. Milk plays an important role in the national diet. In Indian households, the life of milk is extended from 12 to 24 hours by repeated boiling. It is preserved by souring with the aid of lactic cultures, which imparts an acid taste, particularly refreshing in hot climate.
In this post I am giving a detail method of household preparation of some most popular milk products.
1. Preparation of Ghee———-
Relevant information:
Ghee is clarified butter fat. It is prepared on both small and large scale, Deshi method of ghee making comprises more than 90% if Indian Ghee production. The Ghee is prepared b fermenting whole milk to curd, churning the curd to butter and boiling down the latter to ghee. Ghee is the richest source of animal fat in vegetarian diet. It supplies 9 K. calorie energy/gm. It has long keeping quality under tropical storage conditions. In India, Ghee is prepared form Makhan (deshi butter). This ghee has low keeping quality than ghee prepared by other methods.
Ghee is being prepared by continuous method on large scale. A new method of ghee making has been started and named as prestatification method. Cream (ripened/unripened) can also be used for ghee making. Ghee prepared form unripened cream has got longer keeping quality. Factory scale ghee is prepared form unripened cream.
Precautions:
1. Prevent over flow due to foaming by regulating heating.
2. Careful stirring during butter melting.
3. Ripening of cream should be carried out carefully/ appropriately and under controlled conditions.
Material required:
1. Ripened cream/cream/butter
2. Muslin cloth
Apparatus:
1. Ghee boiled / Iron pan
2. A stirrer with flat end
3. Shegadi or chula
4. Thermometer (0-200 0C)
5. Weighting balance
6. Tin containers for packaging ghee.
Procedure:
1. Put the butter/cream in the iron pan. It starts melting at 30 0 C by the time the temperature reaches to 64 0 C all the butter gets melted. Butter is stirred during melting.
2. Temperature increases up to 94 0 C and remains till most of the water is evaporated. At this stage is formed on the surface.
3. The contains of boiling pan become much thicker and bubbles are formed.
4. The curd particles begin to form in to lumps as the temperature approaches to 110 0 C much of the curd is carried up to the surface where it forms its scum.
5. Curd particles begin to sink to the bottom of the pan. At this stage temperature is about 120 0 C.
6. Scum disappears from the surface and the general appearance is of a clean yellowish liquid with white curd particle floating near the bottom of pan.
7. As the temperature rises to about 120 0 C the larger bubbles is gradually replaces by smaller one with cracking sound. At this stage the ghee is ready.
8. During cooling crystal or grain formation takes place if ghee is cooled suddenly, small sized grains are formed and if ghee is cooled slowly big sized grains are formed. So cool ghee slowly. Ghee should be filled in Zinc coated tinned vessels.
9. Never use iron or copper containers. It should be protected from sunlight.
2. Preparation of Dahi—————————
Relevant information:
Dahi is a well know fermented milk product consumed throughout India. The conversion of milk into Dahi is an intermediate step in the manufacture of Shrikhand, Makhan and Ghee. There are three types of Dahi –prevalent in the country viz.
1) Sweet, mildly sour dahi
2) Sour dahi and
3) Sweetened dahi (called misti, lal or payodhii).
Dahi has higher nutritive value as compared to milk. It is palatable, digestive, and assimilable than milk. The product has got nutritive and therapeutic value.
Dahi is carbonated to increase its keeping quality up to 15 to 30 days without refrigeration. Thermization is another process in which starter micro-organisms are killed after production of dahi to stop further metabolic degradation of milk constituents. Yoghurt is taken as short of set curd alike to dahi.
Precautions:
Starter culture of dahi must be free from undesirable and harmful bacteria.
Material required:
1. Whole milk preferably homogenized.
2. Mixed starter culture (portion of previous day’s dahi).
3. Dipper type long handled spoon for transfer of culture.
4. Plastic coated cups.
5. Stainless steel pan.
6. Chulah/stove/gas shegadi for heating milk.
7. Thermometer.
8. Incubator.
Procedure:
1. Take one or two liters of milk in the pan.
2. Boil the milk for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Cool the milk to body/room temperature (35 0 C).
4. Inoculate the milk with mixed culture or previous day’s mild acidic curd at the rate of 0.5 to 1 percent.
5. Mix the milk thoroughly.
6. Fill the milk in plastic cups.
7. Incubate the cups or container at a temperature of 30-35 0 C for 14 to 16 hrs. (Acidity to reach about 0.7 to 1 percent).
10. After incubation the cups or the containers are removed from the incubator and stored at low temperature to check further fermentation reactions.
3. Preparation of Channa—————-
Relevant information:
Channa refers to the milk solids obtained by acid hot milk and subsequent drainage of whey. The acids commonly used are lactic or citric in both natural and chemical form. Channa is largely used as a base for the preparation of variety of Bengali sweets such as Rasogolla, sandesh, Pantoa, Channa. It is a rich source of fat and proteins and some minerals. It is recommended for diabetic patient.
Precautions:
1. Use cow milk to obtain good quality of channa.
2. Do not add coagulant when milk is boiling.
Material required:
Milk
Citric acid @ 1 ml of 20 per cent solution of citric acid/lactic acid in one liter of milk piece of clean cloth.
Apparatus:
Still karahi / steel degchi
Chulah
Khunti.
A ladle of Aluminum / steel for removing hot milk from karahi.
Procedure:
1. Bring all the milk to boil by heating directly in the steel karahi over open fire.
2. All the while stir with Khunti and keep at simmering hot (80-82 0 C).
3. Ladle out 0.5 to 1.0 kg of milk into a separate coagulation vessel.
4. Place the coagulant in the coagulation vessel and add the required quantity of milk.
5. Allow the mixture to coagulate completely.
6. Pour the contents in a of clean muslin cloth stretched over another vessel (for receiving the whey).
7. Remove the cloth containing coagulated solids.
8. Tie the solids gently hanging the contents so that there is complete drainage of whey hang up the solids to drain out the whey completely and also to cool the chhanna vat.
Calculations:
Weight of milk used – Wt. of channa obtained
Percent recovery of Channa = ————————————————————
Weight of milk used
Judging of Chhanna:
1. Colour (Light yellow, whitish).
2. Body (Hard, soft, tough, rubbery sogginess).
3. Texture (coarse, smooth).
4. Flavour (Cooked, acidic, flat, and smokey)
4. Preparation of Paneer———–
Relevant information:
Paneer refers to the indigenous variety of acid coagulated milk solids. Panner is extensively used as an ingredient with vegetables in Northern India. Analogous to Paneer is cottage cheese prepared by acid coagulation in Western Countries.
Precautions:
1. Use buffalo milk for Paneer.
2. Coagulant is added in milk at 70 0 C temperature.
3. The best quality product is made from milk of 6 per cent fat content.
Material required:
1. Buffalo milk,
2. Citric acid,
3. Muslin cloth,
4. Chilled brine solution.
Apparatus:
1. Stainless steel karahi
2. Wooden rectangular hoop (18 x 5 cm) with top and bottom open
3. Pan balance
Procedure:
1. Take 4 kg fresh buffalo milk and standardize to 6 per cent fat.
2. Heat the milk to 82 0 C for 5 minutes.
3. Promptly cool it to 70 0 C.
4. Add coagulant (1 per cent citric acid solution) slowly, while it is continuously stirred till clear whey separates cut.
5. Allow the coagulant to settle down for 5 minutes.
6. Drain the whey through muslin cloth.
8. Do not allow to go down the temperature of the whey below 65 0 C during Straining.
9. Collect coagulum and fill in hoop lined with strong and clean muslin cloth.
10. Fit up wooden planks on both openings of hoop.
11. Apply pressure of about 2 kg/sq. cm or 45 kg on the top of the hoop for 15 to 20 minutes.
12. Remove pressed Paneer from hoop cut into 6 to 8 pieces.
13. Immerse the pieces of Paneer in chilled brine water for 2 to 3 hours for hardening.
Remove chilled Paneer and palace on a wooden plank for to 10-15 minutes, and allow to drain loose water. After words wipe the Paneer pieces and wrap in to parchment and store in refrigerator.
Calculations:
Wt. of milk – Wt. of Paneer
Percent recovery of Paneer = ————————————————— x 100
Wt. of milk
Judging quality:
1. Body (Rubbery, firm, loose, compact).
2. Texture (Free from internal cracks or loose, close, compact, smooth, loose, alike to meet).
3. Appearance (Taste, salty/slight sour).
4. Flavour (Mild acidic/acidic).
Material required:
1. Buffalo/Cow milk
2. Vegetable parchment paper
Apparatus:
Iron karahi (10 kg capacity) with a top diameter of 40 cm with loop handles on opposite side.
Khunti (65 cm length and 7.5 cm flattened end)
Charcoal chulah (32 cm diameter)
Weighing pan balance
Thermometer
Procedure:
1. Take 2 to 3 liters of milk in Iron karahi.
2. Keep the karahi on non smoky fire or charcoal chulah.
3. Bring the milk to boiling temperature.
4. Start the stirring of milk continuously. Scrap all the parts of the pan covering the milk. Boil the milk vigorously.
5. At this point stir the milk at about 100 rpm. Which would help for constant evaporation of moisture and progressive thickening of milk.
6. The thickened mass shows spurting, abrupt change in colour and consistency at this stage also vigorous stirring and desiccation are continued till the vicous product reaches a pasty consistency and leaves the sides of pan.
7. At this stage give close attention and reduce the fire so as to lower down the temperature to 80-88 0 C.
8. The final product is ready when it shows signs of sticking together.
9. Remove the pan from the fire; work the contents up and down and spreading to the cooler part of karahi. After some time remove the khoa on parchment paper and make circular pat. Weigh the quantity of khoa
5. Preparation of Butter————
Relevant information:
Butter is defined is a fat concentrate product obtained by churning, cream, gathering fat into a compact mass and working it. Butter is made exclusively from milk or cream with or without common salt and colouring matter and contains not less than 80% fat. In butter, fat is present in continuous phase and water is present in dispersed phase. This phenomenon is known as phase inversion.
The essential feature of churning involves destabilization of lipid phase emulsion by means of mechanical agitation. Churning is initiated by agitation and the incorporation of numerous small air bubbles. Partially denatured fat globules gather at the fat/plasms inter face, where they form, small clumps. A portion of this hydrophilic fat spreads over the surface of air bubbles causing them to collapse.
Prior to working of butter granules in the churn, approximately 80% of the fat phase exists as globular fat. As the butter granules are worked more and more fat globules are crushed causing the release of liquid fat. This free fat constitutes the continuous phase. Fat globules and finely dispersed droplets of the aqueous. Phase represent the dispersed phase.
Precautions:
1. Maintain proper temperature daring churning to obtain proper grain size.
2. Over ripening of cream should be avoided.
3. End to end butter churn should be used for better results.
4. Butter should be prepared by adopting hygienic conditions.
Material required:
1. Ripened cream
2. Chilled and Luke warm water
3. Annatto colour. It is extracted from the seeds of Bixa orellana.
Apparatus:
1. End to end butter churn
2. Cream ladle
3. Butter scoop
4. Diary floating thermometer
5. Scotch hand pair
6. Butter worker.
7. Weighing balance
8. Butter print.
Procedure:
End to end butter churn:
It is cylindrical vessel prepared from oak wood plants. The vessel may be balanced on central axis or diagonal axis, around which it revolves. Because of the end to end revolution the cream inside the vessel (not called as churn) receives agitation during butter preparation. The butter churn is resolved by a handle. It has a glass window to observe the stage of butter formation inside the vessel. It is provided with a value on one side and through which gasses formed during churning process could be expelled out of the vessel. The other types of churn are a) swinging churn b) Rotating churn and butter worker c) Metallic churn.
Preparing the churn:
The wooden churn should be filled with cold water for soaking for 24 hours. Soaking leads to close up the slits and it becomes leak proof. The water is then drained out to give thorough washing to churn, so that any odours present in the wooden material are removed. After adequate soaking the churn should be thoroughly scrubbed with hot water. Persistent odour in the churn is removed by the use of chlorine solution. Washed, repeatedly with hot water. The churn should be scrubbed with common salt using a brush. The salt acts as a wood preservative.
Preparing cream for churning:
Weight the required quantity of ripened cream. Note its temperature the temperature of cream is adjusted between 9 to 11 0 C (48-54 0 F) depending upon the season. This is called as churning temperature. The churning temperature in summer is at the lower range and little higher in winter in the above range. If the temperature is low, the fat globules become harder and coal eases each other with difficulty resulting in the delayed churning. If higher temperature is used the butter produced will be soft, greasy, but the churning will be quick. The temperature is adjusted by adding clean chilled water or ice water (45 0 F) to the cream depending upon the demand of season. While adding chilled water the cream is slowly agitated with cream ladle to break clots and to make the consistency like honey. If needed, the scotch hand pair is used to break the cream clots.
Churning of Cream:
Transfer the prepared cream to the churn. The churn filled up to half of its volume otherwise the churning process will be prolonged. The churn is ventilated frequently by opening the value, this helps to escape the gasses from the churn. Fast churning leads to form small grains of butter. Hence uniform churning is required. The glass observing window becomes yellowish or whitish when it comes in contact with cream. The clearance of glass indicates the formation of granules. At this stage small butter granules are formed. Add some quantity of chilled water having temperature about 45 0 F. This is called as break water. It brings down the temperature of cream, which has increased due to the friction and outside temperature. Continue the churning till fat globules attain the size of pea which is observed through the glass window.
Washing, salting and working of butter:
As soon as the churning is completed, the butter milk is drained off from the bottom of the churn with the help of butter scoop. Add equal quantity of wash water whose temperature is the same as that of butter milk and give few revolutings. Take out the water. Two washings are usually sufficient to remove curd content and extra acidity of the mass. The butter is spread over the butter worker, salt is sprinkled over the butter to prolong its keeping quality and improve its flavor. Easily soluble, fine grained worker has wooden corrugated roller. The object of working is to a) remove extra water b) to render the butter compact and c) to distribute the salt evenly.
Packing of butter:
When butter is ready is molded in various shapes. Butter is filled in special butter prints with butter knife. Food grade quality butter paper is used for packing. Packing should be attractive. Butter should then be kept in refrigerator for hardening.
Over run in butter:
The weight of butte obtained from a given lot of cream exceeds the amount of fat in the cream. That amount of butter which exceeds the fat present in cream is called over run. This is because in addition to fat the butter contains some amount of water. Salt and curd.
B —– F
Formula % OR = ——————— x 100
F
Where,
OR = Over run in butter (Usually expressed as %)
B= Butter made (kg)
F= Fat in churn (kg)
Judging the quality of butter: Butter is graded according to its flavor body, colour etc. A standard score card is used.
Score card for butter
Characteristics Max. Score Sample Score
1. Flavour
(Clean, pleasant, Rancid, Tallowy, flat, acidic, 45
Metallic weedy).
2. Body and texture
(Leaky, Greasy, Oily, Crumbly, smooth, Firm) 30
3. Colour and appearance
(Mottled, mouldly, dull, light, yellow, white) 10
4. Salt 10
5. Package and finish 5
6. Preparation of Khoa————-
Relevant information:
In India the quantity of milk available in flush season for exceeds to actual requirements. Under the tropical climate of our country and with limited facilities of storage, the excess of milk cannot be stored or transported as such for marketing. Hence it is imperative to convert into khoa by the producers as a method of utilizing surplus milk.
Khoa is an ancient indigenous milk product which constitutes an important base for the preparation of various Indian sweet meats. The surplus milk produced during flush season in converted into khoa by the producers as a method of utilizing surplus milk.
There are 3 types (varieties) of khoa viz. Pindi, Dhap, and Danedar, Pindi is used for the preparation of Burfi and Peda. Dhap for Gulabjamun and Danedar for Kalakand. A continuous khoa making machine is having steam jacketed drum heater with a rotary scarper. A milk outlet valve has been designed for large scale production of khoa.
Precaution:
Take at most care while stirring hot milk during desiccation to avoid splashing and excessive charring.
Material required:
1. Buffalo/Cow milk
2. Vegetable parchment paper
Apparatus:
Iron karahi (10 kg capacity) with a top diameter of 40 cm with loop handles on opposite side.
Khunti (65 cm length and 7.5 cm flattened end)
Charcoal chulah (32 cm diameter)
Weighing pan balance
Thermometer
Procedure:
1. Take 2 to 3 liters of milk in Iron karahi.
2. Keep the karahi on non smoky fire or charcoal chulah.
3. Bring the milk to boiling temperature.
4. Start the stirring of milk continuously. Scrap all the parts of the pan covering the milk. Boil the milk vigorously.
5. At this point stir the milk at about 100 rpm. Which would help for constant evaporation of moisture and progressive thickening of milk.
6. The thickened mass shows spurting, abrupt change in colour and consistency at this stage also vigorous stirring and desiccation are continued till the vicous product reaches a pasty consistency and leaves the sides of pan.
7. At this stage give close attention and reduce the fire so as to lower down the temperature to 80-88 0 C.
8. The final product is ready when it shows signs of sticking together.
9. Remove the pan from the fire; work the contents up and down and spreading to the cooler part of karahi. After some time remove the khoa on parchment paper and make circular pat. Weigh the quantity of khoa
7. Preparation of Rabri———————————-
Relevant information:
It is a conventional concentrated, sweetened milk product, which has got high appreciation in northern and eastern regions of India. The manufacture of this product is mostly on the cottage scale industry and the method of preparation is primitive and no care is taken as regards the hygienic quality of the product. It is largely prepared by Halawai. The specialty of the product is that it contains several layers of clotted cream.
Precautions:
One should be careful about the danger of open fire heating while concentrating the product.
Material required:
Buffalo / Cow whole milk.
Ground sugar
Apparatus:
1. Large size evaporating pan (karahi).
2. Flat edged scrapper (khunti).
3. Bamboo / cane splinter.
4. Fire chulah.
5. Pan balance.
6. Plastic coated cups.
7. Hand fan.
Procedure:
1. Take 3-4 kg of milk in a karahi and heat it on open fire to 90-100 0 C and maintain it by controlling heating.
2. Do not stir, fan the milk gently by hand fan during heating to help the process of skin formation.
3. Break the skin continuously with the help of splinter and move it to the sides of karahi or collect in the separate pan/breaker.
4. Continue slow evaporation of milk till it reaches to about 1/5 the of its original volume.
5. Add good quality ground sugar 5-6 % by weight of the original milk and dissolve it.
6. Immerse the layers of skin collected on the sides of karahi. At this stage the product is non-homogenous, flakes floating in milk sugar syrup.
7. Heat the whole mass till you obtain homogenous honey comb, textured mass of finished product. Cool it.
8. Preparation of Lassi————————-
Relevant information:
Lassi is the by-product of deshi butter prepared in house-holds and called chhas or matha. Lassi is appreciated throughout the country as beverage for its palatability and as thirst quenching/refreshing drink. It is also known for its therapeutic values. The palatability and wholesomeness of the product depends on the quality of curd churned and temperature of churning. An average curd obtained by fermentation with contaminants produces a highly sour or off-flavored lassi, unfit for human consumption.
Precautions:
1 Use clean water for preparation of Lassi.
2. Don’t use off flavored curd for lassi preparation.
3. Use matching colour flavour. Use clean utensils for preparation and heating.
Material required:
1. Whole skim milk.
2. Canesugar.
3. Sodium chloride (common salt).
4. Edible colour, Food grade flavour.
Apparatus:
1. Curd beater (steel or wooden).
2. Diary floating thermometer.
Procedure:
1. Take well set-curd in a container.
2. Add little quantity of water.
3 Homogenize the contents using curd beater.
4. Dilute the contents with 1-2 parts of cold water.
5. Addition of water will depend on the composition of curd.
6. Add sugar at the rate of 14 to 20 percent or add 1-2 percent powdered common salt .
7. Add colour and flavoring material as desired.
8. Mix the content.
9. Add ice, spices and serve.
