Classification of Traditional Indian Dairy Products: A Detailed Guide

India is one of the largest milk-producing nations in the world, and a significant share of that milk goes into making a wide variety of traditional dairy products. From the dense, sweet richness of khoa to the tangy freshness of paneer and the smooth creaminess of dahi, these products have been part of Indian food culture for centuries. But did you know that all these diverse products can be systematically grouped into distinct categories? The classification of traditional Indian dairy products is based on the principle of manufacture – meaning the core scientific process used to transform milk into a finished product. This classification system helps dairy scientists, students, and food technologists understand why certain products share similar traits and how different processing methods yield different textures, flavours, and shelf lives.

Why are traditional dairy products classified? 🔗

India’s traditional dairy products go by many different names across regions, and their recipes vary based on local ingredients, available fuels, and cooking techniques. To bring order to this diversity, dairy scientists have developed a classification system based on the fundamental manufacturing principle involved. Whether the milk is heated to remove water, coagulated with acid, fermented using bacterial cultures, or churned to separate fat – each approach creates a distinct family of products. According to the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, these ethnic dairy foods were developed over centuries using locally available equipment and procedures to conserve the nutritional value of highly perishable milk. Today, the classification typically includes six to nine major categories, depending on the source, but the most widely recognised grouping covers six main types.

Heat desiccated products 🔗

Heat desiccation is one of the most important methods used in traditional Indian dairying. In this process, milk is continuously boiled in an open pan while being stirred and scraped, causing water to evaporate and the milk solids to concentrate. The result is a dense, flavourful product with an extended shelf life compared to liquid milk. The Food & Nutrition Journal notes that a wide range of confections across the Indian subcontinent are based on this category of products.

Khoa 🔗

Khoa (also called khoya or mawa) is the most prominent heat desiccated product. It is prepared by rapidly heating milk in a wide-mouthed iron or stainless steel pan (karahi) with continuous stirring and scraping until the moisture is largely removed and the milk reaches a semi-solid, pasty consistency. According to research published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, approximately 1.5 million tonnes of khoa are produced annually in India. The product must contain not less than 30% fat on a dry matter basis, as defined under food safety regulations. Khoa comes in three main varieties – Pindi (hard, used for burfi), Dhap (soft, used for gulab jamun), and Danedar (granular, used for kalakand). Khoa serves as the base for a huge range of Indian sweets including peda, burfi, milk cake, and gulab jamun.

Rabri 🔗

Rabri is another heat desiccated product, but its preparation differs from khoa. Milk is simmered slowly in a wide vessel, and as it thickens, layers of cream (malai) form on the surface. These cream layers are periodically pushed to the side and later mixed back into the concentrated milk. This gives rabri its characteristic flaky, layered texture with chewy pieces distributed throughout a creamy base. Sugar and cardamom are typically added for flavour. Unlike khoa, rabri retains more moisture and is consumed directly as a dessert.

Basundi 🔗

Basundi is similar to rabri but has a thinner, flowing consistency and typically does not feature the layered, flaky texture. It is popular in western and southern India and is traditionally served during weddings and religious festivals. Basundi is prepared by slowly simmering milk until it reduces to roughly one-third of its original volume, then sweetening it and adding cardamom and nuts. Its composition generally includes 12-15% fat, 7-9% protein, and 49-57% total solids.

Heat and acid coagulated products 🔗

This category relies on a completely different principle – the combined action of heat and an acid coagulant to destabilise milk proteins, causing them to clump together and separate from the liquid whey. The acid (usually citric acid, lactic acid, or lemon juice) disrupts the charge on casein particles and releases calcium ions, leading to the formation of solid curds. The two major products in this group are paneer and chhana.

Paneer 🔗

Paneer is one of India’s most widely consumed dairy products and is classified as an unripened, acid-set, non-melting soft cheese. It is made by heating milk to about 85°C, cooling it to around 70°C, and then adding a dilute acid (1-2% citric acid solution) with constant stirring until the curds separate from clear whey. The curds are then drained and pressed under a heavy weight to form a firm block. According to INFLIBNET’s e-course on Milk Technology, around 5% of India’s total milk production is converted into paneer. It is marble white, mildly acidic, slightly sweet, and has a firm, spongy body – making it ideal for culinary dishes like palak paneer, matar paneer, and various snacks.

Chhana 🔗

Chhana (or chhena) follows a similar process to paneer but differs in its final treatment. Instead of being pressed into firm blocks, the coagulated mass is drained lightly and kneaded while still warm, giving it a soft, smooth, dough-like consistency. Chhana is the base material for a range of beloved East Indian sweets such as rasogolla, sandesh, rasmalai, and cham-cham. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), chhana must contain no more than 70% moisture and at least 50% fat on a dry matter basis. Cow milk is generally preferred for chhana because it yields a softer, spongier product compared to buffalo milk.

Fermented (cultured) dairy products 🔗

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of milk preservation practised in India. In this category, lactic acid bacteria are used to ferment lactose in milk, producing lactic acid and giving the products their characteristic tang, thickness, and extended shelf life.

Dahi 🔗

Dahi (yogurt or curd) is the most common fermented dairy product in India and has been consumed since ancient Vedic times. It is prepared by inoculating warm milk with a starter culture containing Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species, then incubating at a controlled temperature until the milk thickens and develops its sour flavour. Regional variations include mishti doi (sweetened curd, popular in Bengal) and matka dahi (set in earthen pots).

Other fermented products 🔗

Several other products fall under this category. Lassi and chhachh (buttermilk) are prepared by churning dahi. Shrikhand, popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat, is made by straining dahi to remove whey, then mixing the thick mass (chakka) with sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Each of these products depends on controlled bacterial fermentation as the core manufacturing principle.

Fat-rich dairy products (fat phase inversion) 🔗

In this category, the manufacturing process focuses on concentrating or separating the fat phase of milk. The key product here is ghee.

Ghee 🔗

Ghee is clarified butterfat obtained by heating butter or cream until all the moisture evaporates and the milk solids separate and settle. It has been a cornerstone of Indian cooking, religious rituals, and traditional medicine (Ayurveda) for thousands of years. Ghee has a very long shelf life due to its near-zero moisture content. Makkhan (white butter), obtained by churning dahi or cream, also belongs to this group.

Frozen dairy products 🔗

This category involves freezing concentrated, sweetened milk to create frozen desserts.

Kulfi 🔗

Kulfi is India’s traditional frozen dairy dessert, predating modern ice cream. Unlike Western-style ice cream, kulfi is made by slowly boiling milk until it thickens significantly, then sweetening it, adding flavourings like cardamom, saffron, or pistachios, pouring it into conical moulds, and freezing it without agitation. This gives kulfi its dense, solid texture – quite different from the airy, whipped consistency of ice cream. The lack of air incorporation is what makes kulfi distinctly heavy and creamy.

Cereal-based dairy products 🔗

This category combines milk with grains or cereals to produce desserts where both ingredients contribute to the final texture and nutritional profile.

Kheer and payasam 🔗

Kheer (or payasam, as it is known in South India) is made by slowly cooking rice, vermicelli, or other cereals in milk until the mixture thickens into a creamy, pudding-like consistency. Sugar, cardamom, saffron, and nuts are added for flavouring. The starch from the cereal gradually releases during cooking, naturally thickening the milk and creating a complex texture. Kheer provides a good nutritional balance by combining the complete proteins and calcium of milk with the carbohydrates and B-vitamins of grains.

Factors influencing the classification and production 🔗

The type of traditional dairy product made in any given region is not arbitrary. Several practical factors have historically determined which products dominate in different parts of India.

Milk availability and surplus 🔗

In areas with abundant milk production (such as parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat), concentrated products like khoa are widely produced because they convert large volumes of surplus milk into a stable, value-added form. In fact, Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for approximately 36% of India’s total khoa production. In regions with limited surplus, products like dahi or paneer that use smaller quantities of milk are more common.

Regional dietary habits and consumer demand 🔗

Eastern India (West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar) has a strong tradition of chhana-based sweets like rasogolla and sandesh. North India favours khoa-based products such as peda and burfi. Western and southern India lean towards basundi and shrikhand. These preferences have shaped the local dairy product landscape over generations.

Climate and preservation needs 🔗

India’s hot tropical climate historically made milk preservation essential. Products like ghee (with virtually no moisture) and khoa (with concentrated solids) were developed as practical solutions to extend the usability of milk in the absence of refrigeration. Fermented products like dahi also offered a way to preserve milk through acidification, which inhibits the growth of spoilage organisms.

Summary of classification 🔗

Here is a quick overview of the main categories and their representative products:

Heat desiccated products: Khoa, Rabri, Basundi
Heat and acid coagulated products: Paneer, Chhana
Fermented/cultured products: Dahi, Lassi, Shrikhand, Chhachh
Frozen products: Kulfi
Fat-rich products (fat phase inversion): Ghee, Makkhan
Cereal-based products: Kheer, Payasam

Each of these categories reflects a distinct approach to transforming milk – whether through removing water, coagulating protein, fermenting lactose, freezing, concentrating fat, or combining milk with cereals. Together, they represent a remarkably sophisticated system of food processing that evolved long before modern dairy technology.

What do you think? With the growing demand for packaged and branded traditional dairy products, how do you see mechanisation and modern food technology changing the character of these age-old products? Can standardised factory production truly replicate the flavour and texture of traditionally made khoa or rabri?

References

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10020399/
2. https://www.gavinpublishers.com/article/view/advances-in-processing-of-heat-desiccated-traditional-dairy-foods-of-indian-sub-continent-and-their-marketing-potential
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4008736/
4. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/ftp04/chapter/technology-of-paneer/
5. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/ftp04/chapter/traditional-indian-dairy-products-chhana-based-sweetmeats/