Milk (also known as doodh in India) plays a very important part in the Indian cuisine. Not only is it used to make almost every Indian dessert, it is also used majorly in north Indian and Mughlai cuisine to give a certain richness to the food. Full fat milk is used to make sweets as it is thick and creamy while regular milk is used to make savory food.

Indian Drinks and Shakes with milk 

Haldi Doodh, Turmeric Milk

In India, milk is considered to be sacred. When had with different ingredients, it also said to have healing properties. Haldi doodh, for instance, is a mix of turmeric powder, honey and pepper is used as a cure for common cold, sore throat and insomnia. Another great home remedy is Ukado, a Gujarati lemon grass and ginger drink used to cure indigestion. Doodh, energized with almonds and spices is called Thandai. It is the perfect drink to serve on special days and festive occasions like Holi and Diwali.

Indian Desserts with Milk

The base of almost every Indian dessert is MILK! Whether it is something as simple as a kheer or something complicated like Rasgulla, they cannot be made without doodh. Chenna, a base for rasgulla, is made by boiling milk and separating the milk curds and whey by the addition of any acid (lemon) to it. This milk curd is then rinsed, kneaded and shaped. This is called chenna. A few mithais made with chenna are

Chenna Malpua

1. Rasmalai – this is a Bengali dessert where the shaped chenna is boiled in a sugar syrup and then served in a spicy, saffron milk.
2. Chenna Malpua
3. Chum Chum

Doodh also imparts a rich, creamy texture to different sweets like Gajar ka halwa, where the carrots are cooked down and softened in milk or Kopra pak, where the milk binds the flavors of coconut, saffron and cardamom together.

Milk in Indian Dishes

Just how we make chenna, we also make paneer. When chenna is pressed into shapes to remove excess liquid, it forms paneer and this paneer is used extensively in India for snacks and north Indian cuisine. Methi mutter malai makes use of milk in its gravy itself. Adding milk makes the gravy richer and creamier. This technique is also used in Paneer Tikka Masala, Peshawari Paneer and Green Pea Masala Curry.

Paneer Tikka Masala, Green Pea and Paneer Tikka Masala

Mughlai dishes use milk in rice preparations and vegetable preparations. A little bit of saffron infused milk is what gives biryanis like Veg Biryani a yellow color and sweet smell. Rajasthani Masala Baati's dough is bound with milk instead of water, so is the dough of the deep fried pakwaan in Dal pakwaan, a traditional Sindhi breakfast.

Desserts using milk

Apart from the usual Indian sweets, desserts all over the world make use of milk. May it be ice creams, cakes, cookies or puddings, all things made with milk turn out delicious! Ice creams, for example, malai kulifi, butterscotch ice cream or coconut ice cream make use of full fat milk. This is because full fat milk thickens and gives a creamy texture to the ice cream on cooking.

Rich Vanilla Sponge Cake Using Eggs

Basic sponge cakes use a milk based batter for a softer, spongier cake. The milk contributes to the texture, flavor and softness of the Vanilla Sponge Cake. Softness is also added to eggless pancakes by adding milk to them.

Health benefits of milk, full fat milk, buffalo milk, full cream milk, doodh

1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. The Calcium in Milk helps to protect your teeth against gum disease and keeps your jaw bone strong and healthy. Milk is low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. However diabetics must consider including low fat milk as advised by their dietitian only so as to avoid any fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6 g from a cup. So all those looking to build protein stores can add milk and its products like curd and paneer to their diet. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs.  Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk. 

Check out more Milk, Doodh, Full Cream Milk Recipes | Recipes using Full Fat Milk, Buffalo's Milk | Indian Milk, Doodh Recipes | below!