DOI, DAHI, DADHI, CURD OR YOGURT – A WONDERFUL FOOD

 

 

Every Bengali lunch or dinner ends with ‘doi’ and ‘mishti’. While the latter refers to a wide variety of most delectable and mouth watering sweets, doi is dahi or curd. The nearest thing to curd, available all over the world is Yogurt. Both curd and yogurt are fermented milk products, Curd is typically considered a more traditional, homemade version of yogurt, often made with natural bacterial cultures, whereas "yogurt" usually refers to a commercially produced, pasteurized product with specific added bacterial strains for a more consistent flavor and texture; meaning they can be different, particularly in terms of the bacteria used and production method. In almost every Indian household, the curd is prepared by curdling milk with natural acidic substances like old curd (jamun). On the other hand, yoghurt is fermented with artificial acids and it usually cannot be prepared in our kitchen.

Curd is eaten as it comes, usually with sweets – Rasogulla and Sandesh or it is uded to make delicious fish preparation, doi mach, or marinate mutton and chicken, or make raita or curd-rice.

Types of Dadhi

Ayurveda mentions seven types of dadhi

1.      Madhura dadhi – sweet in taste. It is prepared by fermenting fresh milk at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours

2.      Amla dadhi – sour in taste. The fermentation time is 12 to 14 hours. This stimulates digestion and apetite

3.      Atyamla dadhi – excessively sour in taste. The fermentation time is 24 hours. This has therapeautic use in Ayurveda

4.      Mandajata dadhi – partially set and fermented for 4 to 6 hours only. It too has medicinal use in Ayurveda.

5.      Shrytaksheera dadhi – made from boiled and cooled milk, fermented for 8 to 10 hours. This is the commonest dadhi, for regular consumption

6.      Asara dadhi – This is made by skimming off the cream before fermenting it. It has lower calorie and is easy to digest.

7.      Sara dadhi – It is prepared from cream rich milk by allowing the cream to form at the top during fermentation. This has high calorie and is best for nourishment. 

 

Benefits of Dadhi

Curd or Yogurt is a great food to consume. It helps with digestion, gives us a good energetic feeling and tastes wonderful. But not many people know that it has many other benefits.

1. Protects our teeth

The lactic acid in yogurt has a positive and protective effect on our gums and teeth. It can help keep our teeth healthy and pretty and overcome the damage done by other foods and drinks, most commonly - coffee. It's important to note that although it contains sugar, yogurt has no harmful effect on the enamel of our teeth.

2. Reduces allergy symptoms

Those of us with seasonal allergies know how hard it can be to do anything once the symptoms start to appear, but a cup of yogurt might be an easy fix to this problem. The probiotics found in yogurt may decrease body’s reaction to pollen and other allergens, minimizing allergic reaction.

3. Great pre or post workout snack

Yogurt is rich in carbohydrates that can either help re-fuel the body throughout workout, or replace the energy lost after we are done. The potassium and sodium found in it can also help replace those electrolytes we sweat out and keep us feeling fresh even after a hard workout.

4. Fights the common cold

The common cold will always be there, not much we can do about it. But there's still hope for preventing it in time. Curd or yogurt can strengthen our immune system, making our T-cells stronger and more active. They are more prone to beat the sickness out of  our body before it drags on too long.

5. Prevents yeast infections

If you are given a prescription for antibiotics, you might want to consider yogurt to protect yourself. Using antibiotics usually raises the chances of yeast infections and the yogurt’s active cultures can help balance pH levels and prevent this uncomfortable problem.  The good bacteria in the gut, which fall victim to the antibiotic get replaced by the good bacteria in yorurt.

6. Reduces the risk of high blood pressure

A recent study, conducted over the course of 15 years, revealed that 30% of volunteers that took at least 2% of their daily calorie intake from yogurt, were less likely to develop high blood pressure. That's only from 2%!

7. Helps prevent osteoporosis

All milk and dairy products are in general a great source of calcium and help build healthy bones. Look for yogurts with added vitamin D for greater help in keeping your bones strong and healthy. With homemade curd we can add Vitamin D as a supplement.

8. A great source of energy

Aside from the energy provided by the carbohydrates in yogurt, it also contains B vitamins which are just what your body needs when you feel like you could use a little pick-me-up.

9. Builds muscle

Yogurt contains all of the essential amino acids necessary to build muscle and other tissues in the body. It is a complete protein, which means it is also a welcome addition to our diet as they support all the necessary biological functions of the human body.

10. Helps you lose weight

Yogurt helps build muscle and this means that it helps burn fat. The high amounts of protein will also help one to stay fuller for longer periods of time while reducing the need for snacks and unhealthy foods.   

11. Skin and eyesight 

Curd contains vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy skin and eyesight. 

12. Fight Dandruff 

Curd has anti-inflammatory properties that can help treat dandruff and other scalp conditions. Topical application, holding on for 5 minutes and then shampooing it off is all that is needed.

 

One should always keep an eye open on the sugar content in yogurt. Many kinds of yogurt contain added sugars and artificial sweeteners that you do not want. Stick to 12-18 grams of natural sugar per serving and you're free to sit back and peacefully enjoy a cup of the good stuff! However. 'mishti doi' or 'Poyodhi' once in a while, is simply criminal to deny!

ENGLISH – OVERUSED PHRASES, GRUNTS, SOUNDS AND INTERJECTIONS

                                     

How often do you notice yourself saying the word 'literally'?  This word literally tops the list of phrases and sayings that cause annoyance among readers and listeners.  In fact the words 'basically', 'a safe pair of hands' and 'I'm gutted' ' and 'upcoming' made my list.  If I am asked to list top 10 of irritating expressions, the list will include 'at the end of the day', 'fairly unique', I personally’.

A new book which looks into jargon, poor grammar and meaningless expressions which are often found in modern speech is known as 'Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare'.  The list was compiled by researchers using the Oxford University Corpus database, which alerts them to new words and phrases by monitoring books, papers, magazines, television, and the internet. The database tells which words are being misused and it also identified expressions which are disappearing. 

The author of the book Jeremy Butterfield, also a lexicographer, said that many over-used expressions are considered to be annoying. They actually started off as office lingo - such as 24/7 and synergy. He also said: 'we grow tired of anything that is repeated too often - an anecdote, a joke, a mannerism - and the same seems to happen with some language.'

So, what were the top ten most irritating phrases:  

1. At the end of the day: Usually used before we say what we believe to be an important fact of a situation we are describing. ‘In conclusion’ and ‘when all is said and done’ have the same meaning. 

2. Fairly unique: Here's a classic example of an oxymoron - two words which seem to have an opposite meaning. Grammatically, this is incorrect. An object can either be unique, or not, but it cannot be fairly unique.

3. I personally: I and personally have the same meaning, after all, I is personal so there is no need to use the two together.

4. At this moment in time: Simply put, this expression means ‘now’ or ‘at the moment’. This expression is used too much and is overblown. 

5. With all due respect: This expression is used before something impolite is said, or before we disagree. Most people seem to dislike this phase because it makes it OK to be rude to someone when we use this expression first.

6. Absolutely: This adverb means very or completely. But most people tend to find it absolutely annoying when it is used to mean yes or I agree. A person using it most often is one of our best Cricket captain Saurav Ganguli.

7. It's a nightmare: This idiom means a very bad experience. But it is felt that people use this expression too much in spoken English to mean a lot of undesirable things like a bad movie or a bad book.. 

8. Shouldn't of: This expression is used in the U.K to express regret about something we have, or haven't done. It is also used to criticize the action of others. However, in the way that it is used here it is not good English. The correct expression is shouldn't have. 

9. 24/7:  This expression is used to refer to something that never stops. It is considered to be annoying because it is office jargon, not always true and the word always is deemed to be a better replacement for 24/7.

10. It's not rocket science: This expression meaning it's not difficult is disliked because it's a cliché.

Holophrase

A holophrase is a single-word phrase such as Okay that expresses a complete, meaningful thought. In studies of language acquisition, the term holophrase refers more specifically to an utterance produced by a child in which a single word expresses the type of meaning typically conveyed in adult speech by an entire sentence. The adjective holophrastic is used to denote a phrase consisting of a single word.

 

Interjections, mumblings and grunts

From a sociolinguistic viewpoint they may well be "non-lexical conversation sounds." From the point of view of traditional grammar, they are interjections. They are word or phrase conveying no independent meaning, especially one inserted in a line of verse for the sake of the metre. Words like "you know," "like," "mmh" and "ah." are pretty standard, since without any elements of colloquial speech, a written interview will look preternaturally contrived and formal and ‘vocal pauses’ like these make them sound authentic. However, excess of them becomes irritating and a distraction.

I picked this list from a dictionary of interjections https://www.vidarholen.net/contents/interjections/

Like the sounds themselves, most of the interjection can be made stronger by stretching them out, such as "aaaaaah!!!" or "awwwwwww!!". This list mostly describes the shortest canonical representations. Note that some are listed several times with different meanings, and as alternate spellings under other entries.

 

aah! aaah, aaaahh "Help!" Fright, shock. Sometimes it means "ahh" instead. aha a-ha "I understand" Understanding, triumph (can also be used as "ahh") ahem "Attention, please!" The sound of clearing one's throat. Used to get someone's attention, especially if they don't know (or apparently forgot) that you're there. ahh ahhh, ohh "Ok, I see" Realisation, understanding. Sometimes it means "aaah" or "eh" instead. ahh ahhh.. "So relaxing" Relief or relaxation argh augh "Damn!" Annoyance, anger, frustration aww aw, awww "How sweet!" Shows sentimental approval (also see next entry) aw oh "Come on!" Mild disappointment or protest bah "Whatever" Dismissive, annoyed boo booh "That's bad" Disapproval, contempt boo-hoo boohoo "I'm crying!" Used, often sarcastically, to imitate crying. brr brrrr "It's cold" Being cold, shivering duh "That's dumb" Expresses annoyance over something stupid or obvious eek eeeek "Help!" Girly scream. Surprised, scared. eep "Oh no!" Surprise (female) h? huh? "What?" Misunderstanding. Also see "eh?" below eh? huh?, eyh? "Is that right?" Stereotypically overused by Canadians eww ugh, ewww, yuck, ick "Disgusting" Disgust, dislike fuff "Bullshit" Contempt and disregard gah "This is hopeless" Exasperation and despair gee "Really?" Surprise, enthusiasm, or just general emphasis. grr grrrr "I'm angry" Anger, snarling, growling. Often used for dogs and other animals. hmm hm, hmmmm "I wonder" Thinking, hesitation. humph harumph "I don't like this" A snort, to express dislike, disbelief or annoyance. hah heh "Funny." The first syllable of "hahaha", when something is just a little funny. "Hah" can also be used spitefully in one-upmanship, as in "Hah, got you again you loser" haha hehe, hahaha, bahaha "Funny!" Regular laughter. huh "Really?" Mild, indifferent surprise hurrah hooray, huzzah "Let's celebrate!" Generic exclaimation of joy phew "That was close!" Expressing relief ick yuck, ich, yak "Disgusting" Disgust, dislike mhm mmhm, uh-hu "Yes" Agreement, acknowledgement. mm mmm, mmh "Lovely" Pleasure. Sometimes it means "hmm" instead. mwah m-wah "Kiss!" The sound of blowing a kiss nah "No" Informal no nuh-uh nuh-hu, nu-huh "No, it isn't!"/"Did not!" Childish negation or refusal oh "I see" Realisation ooh-la-la oh-lala, la-di-da, la-dee-dah "Fancy!" An often ironic (or just funny) way indicating that something is fancy or high class ooh oooh "Wonderful!" Wonder, amazement (ohhh can also mean ahhh) oomph umph "I'm exerting myself" A grunt made on sudden exertion. Also used as a noun to mean "power" or "energy" ("This song needs more oomph!") oops "I didn't mean to do that" Being surprised at or acknowledging your own mistakes ouch ow, ouch, yeow "That hurts" Expression of pain oww oww, ouch, yeow "That hurts" Expression of pain oy oi, oyh "Hey, you!" Mainly British: Used to get someone's attention, similar to "hey!". Also used disapprovingly ("Oy, you spilled your drink all over me!"). oy oy vay "Oh no..." Mainly Jewish: Used to express self-pity, similar to "woe is me!" pew pee-yew "It stinks!" Used for foul odors pff pffh, pssh, pfft "That's nothing" Unimpressed phew "That was close!" Expressing relief psst Whispering "Hey, you!" Used to quietly get someone's attention, often to tell them a secret. sheesh jeez "I can't believe this!" Exasperation, annoyance (corruption of "Jesus") shh hush, shush "Be quiet" Used to make someone be quiet shoo "Go away" Used to drive away animals or small children tsk-tsk tut-tut "Disappointing" disappointment, contempt (this is a clicking sound) uh-huh mhm, uh-hu "Yes" Agreement, acknowledgement (easily confused with uh-uh) uh-oh oh-oh "Oh no!" Concerned for indications that something will happen uh-uh unh-unh, unh-uh "No" Refusal, especially if your mouth is full or if you refuse to open it (easily confused with uh-huh) uhh uhm, err "Wait, I'm thinking" Indicates a pause in, rather than the end of, a sentence umm uhh, ummm "I'm hesitant" Being hesitant or skeptical (usually interchangable with "uhh" above) waah waaaaah "I'm crying!" Used, often sarcastically, for imitating crying or whining. wee whee, weee "This is fun!" Used by children when doing something fun, and often ironically by adults when something is fun but childish whoa "Hold on." Can be used to suggest caution as in here, and also stereotypically used by marijuana smokers to express dumbfounded amazement ("whoa, look at the colors!"). Originally a sound used to make horses stop. wow "Amazing!" Impressed, astonished yahoo yippee, woohoo "Let's celebrate!" Generic exclaimation of joy yay "Yes!" All-purpose cheer. Approval, congratulations and triumph yeah yeeeeaah! "Yes!" Common slang for "yes", sometimes also used as an interjection. yee-haw yeehaw "I'm excited!" Much like "yahoo", but almost always associated with cowboys. yikes "That's a bad surprise." Fear and alarm. yoo-hoo yoohoo "Hey you!" The often ironic/comical, seductive call of a woman to get someone's attention yuh-uh yuh-hu, yu-huh "Yes, it is!"/"Did so!" Childish affirmation, often used to counter "nuh-uh!" (not to be confused with yoo-hoo). yuck ick, ich, blech, bleh, eww, ugh, yech "Disgusting!" Disgust, dislike whew "I'm surprised"

 

You will realize that there are some cultural connotations in these interjections, but some come out to be universal and quite independent of the language being spoken. They are not included in normal dictionaries because they just signify noises people make (ahh, ow, grr) rather than exclamation words (hey, stop, yes). Stand alone, and they may mean nothing, but in a sentence they convey the desired expression remarkably well.