Optimization of a novel coconut milk supplemented dahi - a fermented milk product of Indian subcontinent

In this very first study, preparation of coconut milk
supplemented dahi (curd) was reported. Coconut milk and
cow milk in a ratio of 30:70 resulted in a good quality dahi.
Two sets of cultures (Lactococcus lactis MTCC 3041+
Leuconostoc sp. MTCC 10508 and Lc. lactis MTCC 3041+
Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 5422) were found to be suitable
for fermentation of coconut milk and cow milk blend
after 14 and 16 h of incubation at 30 and 37 °C, respectively,
with a viable count of lactic acid bacteria was around 150×
107 cfu/ml. The coconut milk blend dahi samples had a pH,
titratable acidity and fat content of 4.5, 1.2 % lactic acid and
8.1 %, respectively. Addition of 10 % skim milk powder increased
the water holding capacity of dahi. Addition of 6 %
sucrose reduced the bitter like after-taste generated during the
fermentation by Lb. plantarum. The coconut milk based dahi
fermented using Lc. lactis and Lb. plantarum was found to be
viscous than the dahi developed using Lc. lactis and
Leuconostoc sp. 10508. The coconut milk based dahi was
well accepted in sensory analysis. Coconut flavour profiling
of coconut milk dahi detected by electronic nose matched well
with the sensory analysis.