Hung curd instead of mayonnaise - same cream, far less fat
Mayonnaise is almost all oil, so two spoons in your sandwich can add about 200 kcal. Thick hung curd gives the same creamy mouthfeel for around 30 kcal, and it works in dips too.
Mayonnaise tastes creamy, but it is mostly oil. That creaminess comes from blended oil, not from anything light. Hung curd is fresh dahi tied in cloth until the watery whey drips out. What stays behind is thick, smooth and tangy. It spreads like mayo but carries a tiny fraction of the fat. The bread and veggies in your sandwich stay the same either way, so we focus on the spread - that is where the swap does its work.
Mayonnaise vs hung curd, per 100 g and per 2 spoons
Your usual veg-mayo sandwich spread
A roadside or tiffin veg-mayo sandwich usually carries about two spoons (30 g) of mayonnaise. That spread alone is roughly 200 kcal, before you count the bread or the veggies. It is the single richest part of the sandwich.
Assumptions: A typical spreading of 30 g mayonnaise at 680 kcal/100 g = 30 x 6.80 = 204 kcal. The bread and vegetable filling are the same with either spread, so they are left out of this baseline. Some lighter commercial mayos run lower, but regular full-fat mayo is about 680 kcal/100 g.
Swap the spread to hung curd
Use the same two spoons (30 g) of thick hung curd instead of mayo. Season it like mayo - a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of black pepper, roasted cumin and a tiny bit of mustard. It spreads creamy and tastes tangy and fresh.
Assumptions: 30 g hung curd at 97 kcal/100 g = 30 x 0.97 = ~29 kcal. The herbs and spices (lemon, cumin, pepper, mustard) add close to zero. Saving vs the 204 kcal mayo baseline = 204 - 29 = ~175 kcal per sandwich.
Use it as a dip instead of a mayo dip
A mayo dip for samosas, fries or cucumber sticks can mean three spoons (45 g) of mayo - about 306 kcal. The same 45 g of hung curd, beaten with mint, green chilli and a little salt, is a cool creamy dip for about 44 kcal.
Assumptions: Baseline dip = 45 g mayonnaise at 680 kcal/100 g = 45 x 6.80 = ~306 kcal. Hung curd dip = 45 g hung curd at 97 kcal/100 g = 45 x 0.97 = ~44 kcal, plus near-zero calories from mint, chilli and salt. Saving = 306 - 44 = ~262 kcal per dip serving.
Mayonnaise is healthy because it is made with eggs.
mostly falseMostly false. One egg yolk just blends a whole jar of oil into cream. About 99 of every 100 kcal in mayonnaise come from oil, not egg. Regular full-fat mayo is about 75 g fat in 100 g - almost pure oil. The egg is real but tiny; the oil is what fills your calorie budget.
Make hung curd at home and use it well
- Tie fresh, thick dahi in a clean muslin cloth. Hang it over a bowl for 3 to 4 hours. The watery whey drips out, and a thick creamy curd is left behind.
- Season it like mayo: roasted cumin, black salt, black pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and a tiny pinch of mustard. It turns tangy and rich.
- Use it as a sandwich spread, a veg stick dip, or a raita-style side for your roti-thali. It even works in a kathi roll instead of mayo.
- Remember the oil math: one spoon (15 g) of cooking oil is about 120 kcal. Mayo is mostly that oil blended in - so the less oil in your spread, the lighter your meal.
The bottom line
Hung curd gives you the creamy feel of mayonnaise for about one-seventh of the calories. Two spoons of mayo in your sandwich is around 200 kcal; two spoons of hung curd is around 30 kcal. That is a saving of about 175 kcal per sandwich, plus extra protein and almost no fat. Make it at home, season it well, and your sandwiches and dips stay creamy and light.