Mishti Doi is a classic and traditional Bengali sweet made with milk, curd (yogurt) culture and jaggery or sugar. The jaggery used traditionally to make Mishti Doi is palm jaggery (palmyra sugar). In Bengali language 'Mishti' means sweet and 'Doi' is curd or yogurt. In Hindi language this sweet treat can be called Meetha Dahi.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Desserts, Sweets
  • Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients

  • 1 litre whole milk
  • 175 to 180 grams palm jaggery (¾ cup finely chopped - can swap with brown sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
  • 2 tablespoons curd (or a yogurt starter)

Method

Boiling Milk

  1. Take the whole milk or full fat milk in a heavy kadai (wok) or pan. Keep flame to low or medium-low and begin to heat milk.
  2. Stir occasionally when the milk is getting heated. Let the milk come to a boil.
  3. Then continue to simmer the milk on a low to medium-low flame stirring often.
  4. Scrape the dried milk solids from the sides and add to the simmering milk.
  5. Simmer milk till it reduces to ⅓ or ½ of its original volume.
  6. Keep the kadai (wok) down and let the milk cool for about 8 to 9 minutes.

Making Mishti Doi

  1. Meanwhile finely chop or grate the palm jaggery. You will need ¾ cup finely chopped palm jaggery.
  2. After 8 or 9 minutes, add the chopped palm jaggery. When adding jaggery, the temperature of milk can be 60 to 65 degrees Celsius.
  3. Mix very well till all the chopped jaggery is dissolved.
  4. Add the cardamom powder. Mix well and let the milk become warm.
  5. Check the temperature of milk. It should be warm – meaning if you dip your finger in the milk, your finger should feel comfortably warm but not hot. If you have a cooking thermometer, you can check the temperature. It should be between 40 to 44 degrees Celsius.
  6. At this point add 2 tablespoons curd or yogurt starter.
  7. With a whisk mix very well. The curd should dissolve in the milk. If you want you can even whisk the curd before you add.

Setting Mishti Doi

  1. Now pour the doi mixture in earthen or terracotta bowls or earthen handi.
  2. Cover with a lid or seal with aluminium foil.
  3. Keep in a warm place for the mishti doi to set. Mishti Doi takes longer to set than curd. The timing will also vary with the temperature in your city. So you can keep for 7 to 24 hours.
  4. When it is set, the Mishti Doi will look firm with a gentle wobble. Place the bowls in the refrigerator.
  5. Alway store Mishti Doi in the fridge. It keeps well for 5 to 6 days when refrigerated.
  6. Serve Mishti Doi cold or chilled with your meals or as a dessert.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.