Ayurveda’s Look at Yogurt and Taraka

The Ayurveda Look at Yogurt.

Today yogurt has become a staple and so called health food and it is consumed everyday all year round and many times with fruit added.
Is that really healthy? Everyday, all year round.. Ayurveda would say NO. Ayurveda concept of healthy food is not the North America concept of health food.
I have many client that come and tell me they eat a health breakfast of granola and yogurt. To Ayurveda this is not always health. Different types of yogurt or curd are based on type of milk, taste and fermentation time and method of production. Dpending on these factors it will affect dosha and dosha imbalances differently.

In Ayurveda freshly made yogurt is sweet, cooling and can be heavy and slimy depending on what milk was used and the amount of fat in the milk.

When home made yogurt has sat for a few days it becomes amal dadhi and has a more sour and astringent taste and helps with digestion.If fruit fruit is added it is then an improper food combination. Store bought yogurt is usually sour and if eaten regularly it is not good for the Pitta or Kapha dosha
As food has times to be eaten and times not to be eaten, it is not good to have in the winter, in the evening and if you have a kapha imbalance.

What if you make your own yogurt?

Ayurveda is in favor of you making your own yogurt and it is simple to make. When it is fresh it is not as sour, slimy or heavy as store bought and fruit has not been addedt. It may not be as thick but it is natural and it can be used to create a healthy gut microbiome. Ayurveda buttermilk also enhances gut microbiome. You do not need to buy pro or prebiotics.

It is simple and better than store bought.

Take 500 ml of milk and heat to a boil

Let cool to about 85 degrees ( I just put my finger in)

Add 1-2 tbsp of yogurt from previous patch or plain organic full fat store bought

Put in the oven with the light on and in the morning you have yogurt.

Yogurt made with nut milks or coconut milks do not have the same properties as yogurt made from milk.

After you make your yogurt you can make takra ( buttermilk) as a healing agent for the gut. It improves digestion, spleen disorder and can balancing of Kapha and vata.
Depending on the herbs that are added to the takra it can help with IBS_D , digestive distress, skin issues , pandu ( anemia) , Chrons but firstly it resets the gut. Herbs like trikatu, ginger, pippali, musta are used for IBS or Grahani( malabsorption). With specific herbs, It is an excellent drink and can be used in Chrons disease as part of a 6 month protocol.
Once you make Takara from curd, its properties change and it is highly beneficial in inflammation, GI disorders, digestive disorders and some skin issues.

To make Takara:

Take 1 cup of your homemade yogurt and mix with 4 cups of water. Blend on. low speed for 30 seconds. Scoop off any droplets of butter that you see on the top of the liquid. Repeat by adding 1 tbsp of cold water.

Now you can add different spices and herbs.

One of the most common way is to take takara is to blend one cup of the blend you made and add a pinch of pink salt and turmeric, 1/2 tsp of cumin powder, a few curry leaves and for more Pitta pacification a pinch of rock sugar. If you have sluggish digestion or IBS take before food. Not to be taken at night.