Mishti Doi | Bhapa Doi | Nolen Gurer Doi | Steamed Sweet Yogurt

Bengali Mishti Doi Recipe | Nolen Gur er Doi Video

“Feeling hot hot hot
Feeling hot hot hot
Me mind on fire, me soul on fire feeling hot hot hot”

And the only thing giving me a bit relief from this scorching heat is chilled Mishti Doi in an earthen pot. Looking for better option than mishti doi? Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi is the definite answer if you want to cherish winter on this hot humid summer days. Nolen Gurer Mishti Doiis a typical Bengali delicacy which has now gained popularity worldwide. It is nothing but a sweet yogurt (Mishti Doi)flavored and sweetened with Nolen Guraka date palm jaggery. Sometimes green cardamom is added to enhance the richness and flavour of the jaggery.

Mishti Doi Recipe | Bengali Sweet Yogurt Video

Yogurt can be made with various processes, traditional (fully fermented without any cooking), bhape (steamed) and baked. There is another one which is more like a cheat sheet called instant yogurt. I had already shared recipes of traditional Mishti Doi (sweet yogurt) and instant Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi in 10 mins. But I’ve received many requests to post the traditional recipe of Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi. It is one of the most tedious jobs I’ve ever done though I can’t say it is a hard one. it is just time consuming and bit technical. It’s an either/or situation; either you will get bowlful of Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi or you will end up having a curdled milk, flavoured with date palm jaggery. There is no midway for this recipe.

Traditionally milk is boiled over low flame for a good amount of time to reduce to its original volume; then date palm jaggery is added and bring the milk to warm temperature. Then active culture of yogurt is mixed with the sweet milk and the entire mixture is kept in earthen pots for 6hrs to 12 hrs (depending on local weather) in warm & dry place like near oven/gas. Thus after fermenting the yogurt mixture for such a long time, Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi is formed in traditional way.

But being a lazy bum (once a lazy bum, always remains one) I dint dare to take that amount of risk to get curdled jaggery flavoured milk mixed with yogurt though anything with nolen gur tastes divine to me but it is not to many people. So I went ahead and baked the yogurt in oven with steam and turned into Bhapa Mishti Doi, meaning steamed sweet yogurt. So pick your choice and make a bowlful of Nolen Gurer Mishti Doi of your own, be it steamed or traditional.

Bhapa Mishti Doi Food Photography Styling

Here you go with the Video Recipe on how to make perfect Nolen Gur er Bhapa Mishti Doi aka Steamed/Baked Sweet Yogurt at home.

Read the entire recipe and tips carefully before you start cooking.

Do make sure all ingredients are at room temperature (unless mentioned) and weighed or measured correctly in appropriate weighing machine or measuring instruments such as cups or spoons. Remember these are not our regular cups or spoons which we use in our daily life.

This recipe requires thick creamy yogurt, so Greek yogurt will produce best results. If you don’t find any in your neighbourhoods, don’t be a spoilsport, use homemade hung curd instead. Hung curd is nothing but thick dense curd without any whey or water content in it. It’s quite easy to make at home but will add up little more time in the original recipe in that case.

Now it’s time to mix the Nolen Gur.

Take the Greek yogurt or freshly made hung curd in a large glass bowl. Add fresh cream or thick milk.
In case you are using milk, take 500ml milk in a thick bottomed pan and keep boiling until reduces to 200ml approximately or at least half of it’s original volume. Follow the Instructions from here.
Now start whisking the yogurt with a manual whisk gently. If you are keen to use flavouring agents like ground cardamom or saffron add now. (See Tips)

Mixture should be thick and dense but won’t hold any peaks. Whisk till jaggery dissolves completely, about 3-5 mins. Electric whisker can also be used for the same purpose. (See Tips)

Take few earthen pots if possible as you can get best quality thick creamy mishti doi only in earthen pots and pour yogurt mixture in them carefully. (See Tips)

If you can’t find any, use ceramic pots, they work just fine. Flatten the surface with back of a spoon and tap each pot few times on kitchen counter to remove air bubbles, if presents any. Now arrange the bowls in a large baking pan/tray. Fill the half of the pan with steaming hot water in such a way that bottom of yogurt filled ceramic pots are dipped in water. Watch the Video above for better understanding.

Then cover the top of each pot with small strip of metallic foil completely; there shouldn’t be any loose ends.

Mishti Doi Recipe | Bengali Sweet Yogurt Video

Time to Bake with Steam.

Now bake the yogurt in preheated (170⁰C) oven for 30-40 mins at 170⁰C or until yogurt is set. For confirmation use a skewer and insert in the middle of the pot, if thin liquid sticks to the skewer bake for another 5-10 mins. Even the middle is little wobbly it will be set once refrigerated. Once done allow it to cool a bit in oven as water in the pan is too hot right now to peel your skin off.

Last but most important thing is just chilling baby!

Remove yogurt from oven and bring to room temperature and later refrigerate for 1-2 hrs. (See Tips)

If you don’t have any drooling souls around you unlike me, you can refrigerate yogurt overnight. This way yogurt will be super dense and creamy. Remember the golden rule when it comes to yogurt, ‘the Thicker the Yummier’!!!

Enjoy your chilled Nolen Gur er Doi with or without extra nolen gur on top! Or you can also add chopped nuts on top to add some crunch in the dessert. I simply love to dig in as it is. Just a few seconds and the bowl will be wiped, licked away clean!

Mishti Doi | Bhapa Doi | Nolen Gurer Doi | Steamed Sweet Yogurt | Baked Yogurt

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Rimli

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Bengali

Serves: 8-9 servings

Ingredients

Greek yogurt: 400 ml
Or, full fat or regular yogurt: 400ml
Condensed milk: 100ml
Cream: 200ml
Or, regular milk: 500 ml, boiled till reduced to less than half or more or less 200 ml
Jaggery, powdered: ½ cup (adjust according to personal preference)
Ground cardamom: ¼ tsp (optional)
To Serve:
Handful of chopped almonds or pistachios
Little bit or grated jaggery or few spoons of molasses

Instructions

Mix the Greek yogurt or freshly made hung curd, fresh cream or thick milk and jaggery together in a large glass bowl. Whisk till jaggery dissolves completely, about 3-5 mins.
If you are keen to use flavouring agents like ground cardamom or saffron add now. (See Tips)
Take few earthen or ceramic pots and pour yogurt mixture in them carefully. (See Tips)
Now arrange the bowls in a large baking pan/tray. Fill the half of the pan with steaming hot water in such a way that bottom of yogurt filled ceramic pots are dipped in water. Watch the Video above for better understanding.
Cover the top of each pot with small strip of metallic foil completely.
Bake the yogurt in preheated (170C) oven for 30-40 mins at 170C or until yogurt is set.
Once done allow it to cool a bit in oven as water in the pan is too hot right now to peel your skin off.
Remove yogurt from oven and bring to room temperature and later refrigerate for 1-2 hrs. (See Tips)

Notes

Tips:
1. I personally prefer to enjoy the smokiness in nolen gur er doi so I never add any other flavours in it. But if you are not so comfortable with the dominating flavour of date palm jaggery use ground green cardamom or 1-2 drop of cardamom essence. Some people use saffron too. It’s your personal preference; I’m leaving that upto you.
2. Make sure you keep the speed of electric whisk on lowest possible number and don’t whisk more than 2 mins at a time. Otherwise yogurt can split and it will never hold together again.
3. The aroma of wet earthen pots actually enriches the flavour of any kind of doi/dahi/ yogurt.
4. The most important step of this instant yogurt recipe is chilling the yogurt in refrigerator for 1 hr. minimum. Otherwise yogurt won’t set, it will be more like dense sweet cream. More chilling time equals to thicker mishti doi.

Variations:

1. Use brown sugar instead of jaggery for the same colouring effect though taste won’t be as smoky as jaggery.

2. Use thick molasses instead of jaggery but remember molasses is liquid so it can affect the consistency of Mishti Doi. So use it wisely, add little by little.

3. Sprinkle some ground cardamom to enhance the flavour.

4. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios or almonds on top to add some crunch.

5. Little amount of ground jaggery or molasses can be swirled on top as garnishing.