Nabadwip-er lal doi facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Kheer doi, Chakku doi |
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| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Nabadwip, West Bengal |
| Associated national cuisine | India |
| Created by | Kalipada Modak, or some other Call him as Kali Ghosh |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Milk |
| Similar dishes | Mishti doi |
Nabadwip-er Lal Doi (Bengali: নবদ্বীপের লাল দই), which means "Red Curd of Nabadwip," is a very special sweet from West Bengal, India. It's also called Kheer Doi or Chakku Doi. Even though most curd (like yogurt) is white, this one is a beautiful reddish color!
This unique sweet comes from the town of Nabadwip in the Nadia district. People say that Kali Ghosh or Kalipad Modak invented it around 1930. One of the oldest shops that still sells it is "Laxmi Narayan Confectionery Store," which is over 150 years old. Once made, this delicious red curd can stay fresh for up to ten days.
Contents
The Story Behind Red Curd
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There's an interesting story about how red curd came to be. According to local history, it was first made in a place called Phasitala in Nabadwip. The inventor was Kali Ghosh.
Kali Ghosh and his brother, Hari Ghosh, were known for making curd and whey. Whey is the watery part of milk that separates when you make cheese or curd. They would slowly boil buffalo milk over a gentle fire. They added a little water to make the milk very thick, almost like condensed milk. Because the milk was cooked for such a long time, it slowly turned reddish.
The brothers used this reddish, thick milk to make their whey. Their special whey became known as "Red Ghol" or "Red Whey." Since the milk became so thick, almost like kheer (a sweet, thick milk dish), people sometimes call it Kheer yogurt.
Why It's Called Chakku Doi
Another name for this special curd is Chakku yogurt. This name also has a story! "Chakku" means "knife" in Bengali.
The quality of this curd is judged by how thick and firm it is. To test it, people would even turn the pot upside down to see if it stayed in place. Sometimes, they would even stick a knife (a chakku) into the curd. If the knife stood upright, it meant the curd was perfectly firm. That's how it got the name Chakku yogurt!
How Red Curd Is Made
Making this unique red curd involves two main steps. First, the milk is boiled for a very long time. This step is called foot. Second, the thickened milk is fermented to turn it into curd.
To make the best red curd, you need pure milk from cows or buffaloes. The type of fuel used to boil the milk is also very important.
The Boiling Process
The first foot (boiling step) can take anywhere from two to six hours. Wood is used as fuel for this part. The milk is boiled continuously until it gets its reddish color. About three liters of milk are slowly reduced to just one liter! This shows how thick and concentrated it becomes.
After the initial boiling with wood, the milk is cooked further using coal. For regular white yogurt, milk is thickened, but for red curd, it needs to be even thicker. The milk becomes very dense.
Turning Milk into Curd
Once the milk is perfectly prepared, it's poured into different-sized clay pots. These pots can hold anywhere from 100 grams to five kilograms of curd. The pots are then placed around the coal fuel to keep them warm. Finally, the curd is covered with cloths or socks. This warmth helps the milk ferment and turn into curd.
The amazing thing is that the makers in Nabadwip create this beautiful red curd without adding any artificial color. The color comes naturally from the long, slow cooking process of the milk!
