Abstract

Background: Dahi (curd) is one of the most popular fermented milk product which is known for its unique flavor, solid characteristics and high nutritive and therapeutic values. Despite, India being one of the largest producer of milk, milk and milk-based products are out of reach of several Indian population subsets due to the high cost. Currently, in order to cut the product cost, different kinds of milk replacers are applied to make milk and milk derived products. Being a rich source of protein, soy has become an attractive replacer for milk and milk derived products.

Methods: The study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of soymilk supplementation with toned milk for the production of nutritious dahi and as a substitute for cattle milk. Soy milk was extracted from dry, pre-blanched seeds, soaked for 3 hour followed by grinding with hot water (1:8 ratios). The curd was prepared from 5 different proportion of soy and toned milk: T1 (100% soy milk), T2 (70% toned milk: 30% soy milk), T3 milk (50% toned milk: 50% soymilk), T4 (40% toned milk: 60% soymilk) and T5 (100% toned milk) using mother dairy curd as an inoculum.

Results: These curd samples were evaluated for organoleptic properties (color, flavor, body and texture) as well as physico-chemical (protein, fat, ash content, total solids and total soluble solid, moisture content, colorimetric and rheological behavior). Overall organoleptic acceptability of these soy blended dahi formulations T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 was found to be 5.87, 6.71, 6.64, 6.59 and 7.0, respectively.

Conclusion: The results of present study indicate that 30% replacement of cattle milk with soy milk could be the most feasible option to ensure the high availability of milk to poor population without affecting the palatability and nutritional quality of curd. It was also observed that soy milk substituted with curd was cheaper and can be afforded by population with lower income.

Keywords: Dahi, physicochemical properties, sensory score, soy milk, therapeutic values, toned milk.

Graphical Abstract