Continental

Continental makes natural set yogurt in the UK, cultured in the pot so it sets firm with a clean, gentle tang. That firm, spoonable style is the one many South Asian families know as dahi or curd, and it has made the brand a familiar sight in fridges in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan homes.

We keep Continental in yogurt, in the yogurt and desserts section of chilled and dairy. The whole milk set yogurt is made with British milk and live cultures, thick and creamy with a mild sourness. The fat free set yogurt is made with skimmed milk and is lighter and milder. Both come in a smaller pot for the week and a large family size tub for big cooks.

Whisk the whole milk yogurt with salt, roasted cumin and grated cucumber for raita, beat it into a chicken marinade with ginger, garlic and tikka masala, or stir it into a korma off the heat so it stays smooth. It makes kadhi with gram flour, sweet lassi with sugar and cardamom, and thayir sadam, curd rice with a mustard seed and curry leaf tempering. The fat free yogurt suits a breakfast bowl with fruit or a light mint dip.

Keep the pot closed in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time; once opened, eat it within the days shown on the pot. A spoonful of the live yogurt stirred into warm milk will set your own homemade dahi overnight. For drinking yogurts see lassi and flavoured milk, and for fresh cheese to cook with browse paneer.