RECIPE (40)

INGREDIENTS

1 liter milk, full-cream or whole milk, (about 4 cups)

12 tablespoons sugar, divided use
2 1⁄2 tablespoons yogurt, lightly beaten till smooth

COOKING METHOD

1. Place a saucepan or kadhai on high heat. Pour in milk, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add
6 tablespoons sugar and stir vigorously to prevent milk from catching the bottom of the saucepan. Continue
cooking, stirring often, till the milk has reduced to half its quantity. This should take about 30 minutes.

2. Make the sugar syrup (caramel): Place a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 6
tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Once the sugar begins to melt, swirl the pan occasionally till the
sugar melts completely and turns a deep caramel brown. Be careful not to let the sugar burn.

3. Pour caramel into the reduced milk and continue to stir until it dissolves completely in the milk. Bring to a boil
and continue stirring for about another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool till it is warm to the
touch.

4. Add yogurt and whisk lightly to mix. Transfer into 4 small earthen pots or kullads and let them rest overnight
undisturbed. Keep slightly warm by placing kullads in a covered casserole dish or swathing in cloth.

5. The morning after, refrigerate the set mishti doi. Serve chilled.

Variations: The sugar can be replaced entirely by nolen gur (date palm jaggery), a winter specialty that is
unique to Bengal. Another variation is bhapa doi, which is a steamed yogurt, and also delicious.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 47 minutes plus 8 to 12 hours unattended time for mishti doi to set