Is It Wrong to Eat Daal and Curd Together?
Is it really wrong to have lentils / daal and curd together? Did you know that wrong food combinations can cause severe gastric issues?
Since childhood my mom taught me what combinations I should not take together. She never allowed us to have milk and fruits together, daal and curd together, and for a lot of people it is no fish and milk products together. I always wondered why. Did you as well?
For my family it was always religious ritual and for others it might just be a rule, but I always wanted to find the reason behind it. This curiosity made me search and write on the science behind food combination.
So yes this belief does have scientific reasoning and to my surprise ayurveda supports this. So before moving to the combinations let us understand what happens to food after we ingest it.
What is Viruddha Aahar? (The Ayurvedic Concept of Incompatible Food Combinations)
According to Ayurveda, every food has:
- Rasa (Taste)
- Virya (Heating/Cooling Effect)
- Vipaka (Post-digestive Effect)
- Prabhava (Unique effect)
Our gastric fire or “AGNI” largely determines how well or poorly food is digested.
When we combine foods with opposite energies (Viruddha), it can overload our Agni (digestive fire). This may lead to:
- Improper digestion
- Toxin formation (Ama)
- Gastric issues (Gas, Bloating)
- Long-term health problems
Why Daal and Curd Together is a Bad Combination?
Both Daal (lentils) and Curd (yogurt) are rich in proteins but have different digestion processes:
- Daal is heavy and requires strong digestive juices.
- Curd is sour (acidic in nature) and cooling.
When combined, curd can:
- Neutralize stomach acids, slowing down digestion.
- Interfere with protein breakdown, leading to gas & fermentation.
- Over time, may cause indigestion, bloating, or even skin issues.
However, dishes like Kadhi, Khichdi-Curd, Dahi Vada are widely consumed without issues. Why? Because:
- Body adapts to habitual combinations.
- These dishes often include spices (like hing, jeera) that aid digestion.
The Science of Food Digestion & Food Combining Rules
Different foods need different environments in the stomach for proper digestion.
- Proteins need acid (HCl & Pepsin).
- Carbohydrates require alkaline saliva.
When we combine acidic foods with alkaline-digesting foods, they neutralize each other, slowing digestion.
Key Rule: Combine foods with similar digestion times & environments.
7 Wrong Food Combinations You Must Avoid
Let’s jump to some combinations through which you can link the above theory and understand things in a better way.
Milk with Fruits
Milk is best when taken alone as it’s a concentrated food by itself. Milk does not allow the food to mix with saliva, which makes digestion difficult.
Milk constitutes of both fats and proteins which after reaching the intestine coagulates to form curd.
Further this curd does not allow gastric juices (which help in digestion process) to act upon the food, because it surrounds the starches that are eaten along with milk.
The starches are digested only after the milk curd is digested.
Also milk is digested in the duodenum whereas most of the other food is digested in the stomach; therefore foods combined with it remain undigested.
When taken together they can change intestinal flora , produce toxins , allergies , cough , cold , congestions etc
Effect of Viruddha Anna on Digestive System
For e.g. – Milk with citrus fruits, bananas, melons.
Eating milk and banana together can change the intestinal flora, produce toxins, allergies, cough, cold, congestions etc.
- Milk curdles with acidic fruits.
- Leads to toxins, allergies, and congestion.
- Avoid: Milk + Citrus fruits, Bananas, Melons.
Two different proteins should not be consumed together
This means that different kind of proteins from the same category can be taken together, but not the totally different ones.
For e.g. – Almonds and walnuts can be taken together, but not fish and curd.
Proteins from different groups have different time and type for release of digestive secretions.
For instance – if we consider milk, strongest juices are released when milk is consumed in the last hours of digestion. Same way eggs receive the strongest secretions at different time compared to that with flesh or milk.
Therefore it becomes very difficult for the body to meet the requirement of 2 proteins at the same meal.
- Different proteins need different enzymes & timings.
- Example: Fish + Curd, Egg + Milk, hard to digest together.
Acidic or Sour foods should not be combined with proteins
In the presence of sour or acidic foods in the stomach, gastric juices may not be released.
They also interfere in the digestion of proteins by either destroying pepsin ( a digestive enzyme that chemically breaks down protein into shorter chains of amino acids ) inhibits hydrochloric acid secretion ( helps in digestion)
This combination when taken together may badly affect protein digestion and cause putrefaction (process of rotting).
Examples of acidic fruits are oranges, plums, tomatoes, pineapple, pomegranate, tamarind, grapes etc
Curd is also acidic in nature therefore should be avoided with daals.
- Sour foods inhibit gastric juice secretion.
- Leads to undigested proteins rotting in the gut.
- Avoid: Curd with Daal, Fish with Tamarind.
Acidic fruits should not be combined with sweet fruits
Acidic fruits slow down the quick digestion of sugars present in sweet fruits which leads to fermentation.
Examples of sour foods are listed above
Sweet fruits – bananas, sapota (chickoo), papaya, dates, sweet berries etc.
- Slows down sugar digestion -> Fermentation.
- Avoid: Oranges with Bananas, Pineapple with Dates.
Avoid eating too many fats alongside proteins
Fat may depress the release of gastric juices required in the digestion process. This may reduce the speed of digestion by 50%.
Heated or fried foods or fat insulated foods remain in the stomach for a long time and cause a lot of strain.
Therefore, putting too much fat on daal or frying daal will be digested slowly.
The same rationales apply for milk and milk products they do not digest quickly in comparison with other proteins as they already have good amount of fats.
- Fats slow down protein digestion by up to 50%.
- Avoid: Over-fried Daal, Creamy gravies with Paneer.
Melons with any other foods
Melons are most quickly digested than any other foods and may cause fermentation, if combined with other foods.
Therefore they are best when eaten alone.
- Melons digest super quickly.
- When eaten with other foods, causes fermentation & gas.
- Best to eat Melons Alone.
Large quantity of liquids with solid foods should be avoided
Large quantity of liquid should be avoided with solid foods the reason is that liquids pass through the intestine very fast. If they are held for a long time due to combination of solid foods they may cause fermentation.
May also wash away the digestive enzymes and hinder digestion.
Therefore any liquids should not be taken immediately before or after a meal. Taken 1 hour post the meal will be beneficial.
- Dilutes digestive juices.
- Leads to improper digestion & fermentation.
- Ideal: Drink water 1 hour after meals, not with meals.
Good Food Combinations that Aid Nutrient Absorption
While wrong combos harm digestion, some combos boost nutrient absorption.
| Good Combination | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C + Iron | Enhances iron absorption (lemon with leafy greens) |
| Vitamin D + Calcium | Better calcium uptake (sunlight, fatty fish, dairy) |
| Vitamin K + Calcium | Improves bone health (broccoli, eggs with dairy) |
| Fats + Fat-soluble Vitamins | Helps absorb vitamins A, D, E, K (Olive oil on salads) |
| Probiotics + Other Nutrients | Improves gut flora for better digestion (Curd/Buttermilk) |
Tips to Improve Digestion Even with Occasional Wrong Combinations
I know I have put in too many wrong combinations, but I have some good news too. There are some foods and factors that can lower the effect of such combinations. So let’s jump into it.
- Eat grated Ginger + Rock Salt before meals to stimulate Agni.
- Take small sips of water during meals, avoid gulping.
- Chew food thoroughly to mix with saliva enzymes.
- Avoid ice-cold water immediately after meals.
- A glass of Buttermilk post meals aids digestion.
- Maintain the 1/3 Rule: 1/3 food, 1/3 liquid, 1/3 empty stomach.
- Develop a strong digestive fire (Agni) with light exercise & mindful eating.
Wrapping Up – Daal and Curd Together?
While Ayurveda advises against certain combinations like Daal-Curd, it’s important to remember occasional indulgence won’t harm, but frequent bad combinations can. If your body is accustomed, the impact may be lesser. Support digestion with spices, probiotics, and mindful eating habits.
