Misti Doi

Misti doi or caramel flavoured sweet yogurt.

Misti doi is very common dessert in Bengal.

Authentically its made of thickened sweet milk and caramel. And allowing the milk to ferment overnight. Earthen post is best for making this Misti doi because water evaporate through its porous walls and produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture.

Nowadays you can get lots of flavours in misti doi. Such as aam doi or mango flavoured yoghurt, khajur gur or date palm jaggery yoghurt etc.

Many of my readers asked for the recipe of misti doi when I posted Misti doi parfait

This yogurt is my all time favourite.

We can get it at Kolkata or Delhi sweet shops. First time tasted homemade when spending my summer vacation at my Sejomashi ( maternal aunt’s) home at Delhi. She was an amazing cook. She and my mom is no more with us but still remember the taste of the dishes made by my mom and aunt.

I have got this recipe from my Sejomashi Gargi Gupta. I always followed her recipe without adding any flavour. But in my last Kolkata visit noticed in sweet shops they used whole cardamom in misti doi. So I have added few cardamom. But next time again I will make without cardamom. If you like you can add or add a pinch of cardamom powder.

I remember when my father in law asked after tasted my homemade doi “from where you bought this doi? Its much better than I tasted before. More delicious.” And that was my best reward I have ever get.

Happy Father’s Day in advance. Jagruti Cooking Odyssey requested some blogger friends to link up with her to celebrate Father’s Day. This misti doi was most favourite dessert of my late father and father-in-law. So I am dedicating this post for Father’s Day.

This yogurt takes more time to set than normal plain yogurt. And we set our homemade curd or yogurt with only 1 or 1/2 teaspoon curd. But this yogurt need more curd to ferment. I have added 1/2 cup curd in it. Because I have used fresh homemade curd which is not tangy at all. I am sharing some tricks to set the yogurt easily.

Recipe

Milk – 1 litter

Sugar – 1 cup ( 3/4 + 1/4 )

Curd – 1/2 cup

Cardamom – 3 – 4 optional
Or
Cardamom powder – a pinch, optional

Sliced pistachio for garnishing, optional

Method
Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan. Add 3/4 cup sugar and reduce the heat. Cook on low flame until milk becomes almost half. Stir occasionally.

In a separate non stick pan or heavy bottom pan mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon water. Keep it on low flame until it becomes golden brown.

Immediately add in hot reduced milk. Mix well. Add the cardamom if you want. When it starts to boil stir and switch off the flame.

Let the milk become lukewarm. Stir continuously. Don’t let the milk topping set over the milk. Don’t make it completely cool. Milk should be warm and touch it to check. If you can tolerate the heat then its perfect to set.

Remember milk should be lukewarm not hot. If you add curd in hot milk it will curdle.

Whisk the curd well. Mix with reduced milk and whisk again.

Now time to set. You can set it in glass or ceramic pot too. But better try to set in earthen pot for better result.

Because it’s porous walls evaporate the moisture. And you will get perfectly set misti doi.

Pour the milk in the earthenware. Cover and keep it undisturbed in a warm place for overnight or 8 – 10 hours.

If the weather is cold then its difficult to set this yogurt. In that case keep the earthen pot in microwave and set the minimum temperature of your microwave. 180 or 200. In my microwave lowest is 180. Just press the power button