Bhapa Doi, Steamed Sweet Yogurt

What’s that line in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps about greed being good and that someone just made it legal!? Its sheer greed that made me make this very traditional and surprisingly easy Bhapa Doi recipe. And its 100% legal to use condense milk, yogurt and milk in the same recipe. On the subconscious level, I also wanted to overcome that Mishti Doi disaster a few days ago.

Today, my Doi karma was by my side. The Bhapa Doi is another Durga Puja special, where this steamed yogurt would be part of an elaborate mishti mukh spread after a meal on Ashtami through Doshomi.

Though I have a feeling its tough for this steamed version of sweet yogurt to compete with its traditional cousin, we call Miss Mishti Doi.

Ingredients for Bhapa Doi/ Steamed Sweet Yogurt are:

1 can sweetened condense milk (I used a can of 300 ml)
300 ml half and half cream (you can use full cream milk)
300 ml Balkan style plain yogurt (unsweetened plain yogurt/dahi)
A few pistachios
Couple of pods of green cardamom

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, whisk together condense milk, milk (or cream) and yogurt. Make sure no lumps remain. (Make your condense milk can the measuring cup for this recipe.) If your yogurt has whey, drain that through a sieve or cheesecloth.

Pour the mixture into ramekins or baking dishes. Place the ramekins in a larger baking dish, fill that dish three-fourths with hot, scalding water. Make sure you don’t spill water into the yogurt mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let it cool before you chill. Garnish the Bhapa Doi with some chopped pistachios and cardamom seeds. If you do not have an oven, try steaming the yogurt mixture in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes.

And remember to thank Goddess Durga (or whoever you pray to) for all the sweet things happening in your life!

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