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India has no dearth of unique recipes, but we also have a handful with equally unique names. Pani Ki Roti, Daulat Ki Chaat, Thaggu Ke Ladoo, the list is endless and quite fascinating. Who coins the name for these dishes, and what eventually sticks – these are questions that often intrigue foodies. And if you also identify as one, you may want to know a little about Sannata Dahi, or Sannata Raita. 'Sannata' in Hindi means complete silence. Why would someone associate the word with dahi all things? Is it some kind of eerie combination, or does the secret lie somewhere else? Let's find out.  

Much like raita, Sannata dahi is made with a combination of yogurt and spices. What distinguishes it from raita is the consistency. Sannata dahi has a watery thin consistency and is teeming with select spices. It is called 'Sannata' because according to legends, this particular concoction may help silence all tummy troubles and ease indigestion.  

(Also Read: Indian Cooking Tips: 7 Ways To Use Leftover Curd In Cooking (Recipes Inside)

Dahi or yogurt is exceptional probiotic that helps feed our gut with good bacteria and thus facilitating good digestion. Since it has a cool and calming effect on the inner stomach lining, it is often consumed with and after meals in many parts of India. The role of spices here is very interesting. Spices are often scrutinised for their role in digestion. A bit too much could prove risky, but if used in appropriate amounts they can do wonders. Spices like cumin, hing, ajwain, coriander are prized in Ayurveda for its healing properties especially when it comes to digestive issues.  

(Also Read: 7 Easy Snacks You Can Make With Curd (Dahi) This Summer )

How To Make Sannata Dahi | Sannata Dahi Recipe:

Ingredients:

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1 Cup Yogurt

1 Cup Water

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp roasted cumin seeds

1 tsp hing

½ tsp green chilli, chopped

Rock salt as per taste

Method:

Take a bowl, add the curd and water and mix it vigorously.

Now, mix all the spices and other ingredients until well-mixed.  

Kollam: Here is an ideal destination for a quiet retreat.  An appealing piece of planet earth cordoned by lofty hills, this plot is lush green rich in vegetation and oxygen, located in a remote, picturesque village, Pattazhi, in Kollam District, Kerala.  Mr. Syam Kumar, a Fire and Safety expert needs to be commended for converting a barren plot into a dazzling destination decked with rare medicinal herbs and a host of rare indigenous cow breeds. Syam has aptly named this property   “Ambadi Goshala,” reminiscent of Lord Krishna, known for his incomparable affection to cows and cattle.

It is rare someone quitting a cozy career to take up cultivation and cattle rearing. Syam renounced his lucrative job abroad and took to a much less remunerative organic farming.   The soft-spoken technocrat is excited to describe paths traversed and hurdles encountered to accomplish his long cherished dream, Ambadi Goshala.  “It was not due to any compulsion but due to sheer inner urge to build an ideal organic farm and a model shelter for native breads of cows I left my well paid job. Of course initially I had to meet with severe oppositions from within my own family.  Friends and relatives used to make mockery of my plan. My resolve was firm and surged ahead.”

The Goshala has over 40 desi (indigenous) cows of different native breeds.  Syam, who fancies to be called a Gopalan (guardian of cows) reaches the Goshala by 6 am and spends couple of hours pampering every single Gaumata. “The company of these innocent creatures gives me immense solace.  I can feel their love and affection. They return me more than what I give them. Unlike our fellow humans these animals are with no prejudice, no bigotry and with no evils within them.

“A native cow at home will keep you and family healthy,” says Syam and adds that he has been trying to inspire his friends, near and dear on the significance of having a native cow at home.  In the Goshala Syam has been working out innovative procedures to boost the crop growing using various cow based products.  “For me Goshala is a laboratory to experiment on native cow centric agriculture economy. One single cow can boost your health and economy alike in an amazing pace.”  According to Syam “products from a desi cow like its dung and urine make the land toxin free, healthy and increasingly fertile”. “The vegetable we grow there will naturally be nutritious. Thus we can ward off many of the knowingly acquired illness. A native cow can change your life for better.”

The Goshala manufactures over a dozen cow based products like plant nutrients, pesticides, floor cleaning lotions for common consumption and agriculture use. His native cow manure high demand among the organic farmers.

Organic farming is also part of his mission. “Apart from vegetables we grow over hundred plus medicinal and fruit plants.  Many of these medicinal plants are on the verge of extinction and we want to protect these rare plants with high curative properties for the good of the society. “

In his sprawling 10, 000 square meters Goshala, Syam has a 1000 square meter natural pond with “water in abundance all the seasons”.   It’s an alluring sight, about half a dozen Bourbon Goose (Oie du Bourbonnais) swimming in it, making some funny sounds that their caring Master can only decode.

Syam now nourishes a dream to develop the Goshala into an inimitable health retreat.  Of course, the location of the Goshala is exceptionally enchanting. Surrounded by seven lofty hills, the plot has an alluring atmosphere. The misty lush green Sahyadri (Western Ghats) is hardly 45 minutes away.  Jatayu Earth’s Center, also known as Jatayu Nature Park (Jatayu Rock), by now a world famous tourism centre at Chadayamangalam, is just an hour away from the Goshala.

Syam has a grand plan to develop his Goshala into a model mission for health and agriculture.  Explaining the importance of health in human life he says “आरोग्यं परमं भाग्यं स्वास्थ्यं सर्वार्थसाधनम् (Good health is the greatest blessing.  Health is means of everything).  The quality of your intake-air, water and food decides the quality of your health, hence Quality Life. And that is the mission of Ambadi Goshala”.

Throughout the course of history, various cultures and civilizations have used fermentation as a way of

preserving perishable foods

that would not last in the warmer weather conditions. Fermentation preserves food because the organisms that are being cultivated, do not allow the growth of other bacteria that would otherwise spoil the food. The presence of bacteria and yeast keep a selective environment that stops the growth of unwanted organisms and supports preservation of food.

Healing Benefits of Fermentation

Other than preserving, fermented foods are highly nutritious and easier to digest. This is due to the beneficial micro-organisms that are involved in the fermentation process, adding live enzymes, B vitamins and protein to the food. 1. Fermentation also increases the bio-availability of minerals present in food, helping the body assimilate more nutrition. The micro-organisms break down complex protein, carbohydrates and fats into more easily assimilated molecules. Therefore, since healthy gut flora plays a key role in absorption, our body is able to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients, preventing nutrient deficiencies that are so common today.

2. Apart from aiding digestion, the lactic acid bacteria present in fermented foods also alter the PH balance in the intestines which is associated with a long life and good health. Also, the same lactic acid bacteria create omega 3 fatty acids, essential for the immune system. Did you know that 80% of our immune system resides in the walls of the intestines? So, while enjoying your

home made yogurt

or having your favorite idlis, you are actually building a resistant immune system that will help you fight disease.

3. Improved digestion which leads to:

Digestive comfort

Regular bowel movement

Better sleeping

Healthy and radiant skin

Increased energy levels

Loss of excess weight

Possible decrease of sugar cravings

Normalization of blood pressure levels

Acid reflux, heart burn control

Decreases inflammation

Candida over-growth control

4. Good bacteria also make it easier for our bodies to get rid of toxins from food and the environment. Doesn't this sound amazing and the answer to most of our health problems? That is why it's important to include many different types of fermented foods and beverages in one's diet.

Types of Fermented Foods and Beverages 1. Dahi or Curd: The Indian staple dahi (yogurt) consumed with every meal has numerous health benefits. Fermentation of milk results in the breakdown of casein or milk protein, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. Culturing restores many of the enzymes destroyed during pasteurization including lactase which helps digest lactose, which in turn helps the body absorb calcium and other minerals. Lactase produced during culturing process allows many people who are sensitive to milk to tolerate fermented milk products. Research has shown that regular consumption of cultured dairy products lowers cholesterol and protects against bone loss. 2. Kefir: Is a cultured and microbial rich food that helps restore the inner ecology. Kefir is made from gelatinous white and yellow particles called "grains". The grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk protein) and polysaccharides (complex sugars). A natural antibiotic that is made from milk! The finished product is not unlike a drink-style yogurt, but kefir has a more tart, refreshing taste and contains completely different micro-organisms from a traditional curd or yogurt. 3. Lacto-Fermented Vegetables: A partial list of lacto fermented vegetables from around the world is sufficient to prove the universality of this practice. People from India, Japan, China and Korea make pickled preparations of lemon, cabbage, turnip, eggplant, onion and carrot. Kimchior sauerkraut for e.g. is a lacto fermented condiment eaten on daily basis in Korea. No Japanese meal is complete without a portion of pickled vegetables. In India, we have fermented fruits like lemons, mangoes,chillies, carrots. Our very popular kanji is an example of an Indian fermented beverage. All of these vegetables and fruits are fermented with spices to make pickles and chutneys, we relish with our meal, from traditional to modern times.

4. Miso: Miso is savory, high protein fermented soybean used in many ways but most frequently as a seasoning or soup base. Miso happens to be a power house of nutrition, a concentrated form of protein that contains 17 amino acids. It also contains linoleic acid and lecithin, which dissolves cholesterol and make the arteries soften and more elastic, helping prevent arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. 5. Dosa, Idli and Dhokla: These are my favorite fermented foods and I'm sure, yours too. These traditional South Indian and Gujarati snacks are predigested by bacteria and hence easier to digest. The fermented process increases the bioavailability of nutrients like folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, biotin and Vitamin K as well as some antibiotic & anti carcinogenic substances.

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Include a wide variety of your favorite fermented foods in your daily diet. In an era when antibiotics are so frequently prescribed and gut flora is so frequently damaged, fermented foods replenish the micro flora of the digestive tract and do so much more.

About the Author Shilpa Arora ND is a renowned Health Practitioner, Nutritionist and certified Macrobiotic Health Coach. She has to her credit Doctorate in Natural Medicine. She is currently based in Delhi NCR region, successfully running her Nutrition Studio with individual consultations, offering life style programs supported by the most up-to-date clinical research.

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