Mishti Doi
- Type: Yogurt
- Course: Dessert
- Place of Origin: Bangladesh (Indian sub-continent)
- Region or state: Bengal, Assam, Odisha
- Main Ingredients: Milk, yogurt, sugar/jaggery
One of the simplest yet humble and delicious desserts in India is the cool and smooth Mishti Doi which is a curd based sweet mostly popular in the state of West Bengal. ‘Mishti’ means sweet and ‘Doi’ is curd, so the dessert can also be known as Meethi Dahi in Hindi. It is different from a regular yogurt as the milk used is thickened and jaggery is added as the sweetening agent along with some yogurt. The curd is then fermented and devoured as a sweet thick curd dish.
Originated from the Bogra district in present day Bangladesh, the dessert is equally significant in India and is associated with Bengali, Odisha, and Assamese cuisine. The delightful taste of Mishti Doi comes with the process of boiling the milk until it is thickened then sweetened with sugar, jaggery, or date molasses, and kept for fermentation overnight. Earthenware is used in the preparation of Mishti Doi as it not only imparts a unique flavor, but the porous walls further thicken the curd and produces the right temperature for the fermentation process. There has been an addition of many flavors in Mishti Doi such as rose, mango, strawberry, cardamom, cinnamon, etc. Serve Mishti Doi as a dessert after a meal or wolf it down whenever you get sugar cravings. It is easily available in stores or can be made at home in just a few minutes.
Making of Mishti Doi
Take a deep pan and boil 1 liter of milk while stirring occasionally. When boiled, simmer the heat, and stir frequently till the milk is reduced to half. Take the pan off the gas and let the milk cool down while also scraping the sides of the milk solids into the milk. Meanwhile, finely chop some palm jaggery and then add it to the milk while it is lukewarm. Mix evenly and add a few pinches of cardamom powder. When the temperature of the milk reduces a little more, add some curd to it and mix well.
Pow pour the mishit doi mixture into earthen or terracotta bowl or handi and cover with aluminum foils. Place in a warm place for the doi to set which can take about 10-24 hours depending on the temperature in the environment. When the doi is set then refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled.
Nutritional Content
One serving of Mishti doi gives 362 calories, out of which carbohydrates comprise 144 calories, proteins account for 31 calories, and the remaining 181 calories come from fat. One serving of Mishti Doi gives about 18 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard diet of 2000 calories.
Video
Mishti Doi
A wholesome, cool, and scrumptious dessert, Mishti Doi is a soulful treat with sweet taste of jaggery sweetened fermented curd which nicely blends with the aroma of earthen pot and tickles the palate with a delicious glee.
