As the usual boring meeting got over little early, and considering the location where we were, without wasting time, my foodie dominated mind immediately sent its soldiers to action, which resulted in prompt decision and swift measures from my end, by proposing to my non-Bengali colleague the idea of venturing into a Bengali sweet shop at the corner of the street, which used to be my once upon a time sweet craving destination. As we entered and before we settled ourselves, he looked at the man and asked,
‘Yahan pe Mishti Doi milta hain’? (Do you serve Mishti Doi here?)
‘Yes Sir’
A sudden feeling of pride started running across my veins, the reflection of which was difficult to hide on my excited face. I was happy, because I got a chance to visit one of my old hang out place. But I was happier looking at the childlike satisfaction and the twinkle in my colleague’s eyes, as he was thrilled about licking the spoon full of chilled Mishti Doi in a hot summer afternoon.
The incident is just a small example of how Mishti Doi Or Bengali Sweet Curd not only satisfies the sweet tooth of Bengal, but is equally cherished by the entire country. And why not? It is difficult to find something which can really match up to the grandness, simplicity, earthiness and unique taste of Mishti Doi. Once you taste this one of a kind, creamy and satiating sweet curd, you are hardly going to forget the rich taste of this sweet delicacy. The thought of the lightly brown creamy upper texture being scraped from the earthen pot to the bati (bowl), always gives goosebumps and send the mind on a mission for the next Mishti Doi treat. A deserving mandatory dessert in any Bengali feast, Mishti Doi or Bengali Sweet Curd is generally served with Roshogolla (another popular Bengali dessert made with cheese), but a fervent Mishti Doi lover will always have it separately without any disturbance.
Coming to my memory and love for Mishti Doi, it goes to the extent that I used to have tough fights with my mother to get a part of the upper crust of the doi, usually reserved for special guests. The fight still continues (wherever I can) and the excitement to admire the light brown beauty has its own charm. And this happiness crosses all limits when you make your own Mishti Doi successfully.
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Recipe: Mishti Doi Or Traditional Bengali Sweet Curd Recipe
Preparation & Cooking Time: Around 1 hour 10 minutes Setting Time for Curd: 2 days
Equipment Used: 1 sauce pan, 1 pan or wok, 2 turners, 1 earthen pot
Ingredients:
- 1 litre milk
- 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons previously set curd
Method:
- Pour the milk in a saucepan and bring the milk to boil
- Reduce the flame after boiling the milk and continue to cook the milk on sim
- Simultaneously heat another pan and add 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter while keeping the flame to the lowest possible
- Immediately add sugar into the pan (containing ghee) and keep on stirring both the pan (milk pan and sugar pan) simultaneously
- Combine the condensed milk and sugar by transferring the milk to the sugar pan when sugar starts changing colour and the granules of sugar start melting
- Stir and let the milk cook with sugar on low flame for another half an hour
- Switch off the flame and cover the pan and let the milk reach room temperature
- As the milk comes to room temperature, add previously set curd in an earthen pot
- Transfer the condensed milk to the earthen pot and mix the curd and milk properly with a spoon
- Cover the pot properly with a foil and place the pot in a relatively warm place
- Wait till the curd is set
Bring milk to boil.
Continue to cook the milk on sim.
Heat another pan and add 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter while keeping the flame to the lowest possible
Immediately add sugar into the pan.
As the sugar starts changing colour and the granules of sugar start melting.
Combine the condensed milk and sugar by transferring the milk to the sugar pan.
Stir and let the milk cook with sugar on low flame for another half an hour. Switch off the flame and cover the pan and let the milk reach room temperature.
As the milk comes to room temperature, add previously set curd in an earthen pot.
Transfer the condensed milk to the earthen pot.
Mix the curd and milk properly with a spoon.
Cover the pot properly with a foil and place the pot in a relatively warm place. Wait till the curd is set.
Tips:
- While boiling or condensing milk, place a big spoon in pan to avoid spilling milk from pan. Ensure the spoon should be big enough that the part of the spoon should remain outside the pan
- It is very important to reduce the flame to lowest before adding ghee. At any cost sugar should not burn
- Apart from boiling milk and heating pan, the entire cooking has been done on low flame
- The time for setting curd will vary depending on the weather and temperature of the surrounding
- Once the curd is set, refrigerate Mishti Doi for couple of hours before serving
