The first thing I learned on coming to Uk was about yoghurt. Different texture (greek, set), flavour (strawberry!!, mango, passionfruit) and of course health conscious probiotic ones. I had never ever seen so many at one place. In fact never had store bought yoghurt till we set up a rented home in first year of job. I was quite surprised on my recent visit to a delhi supermarket to see a similar range. I never liked it at home..it was always a watery kind of thing. Boil the milk, cool it, add the sample (jamun..it was called) and let it to grow itself into a sour mess. In an Indian kitchen where overnight food was looked down upon it is wonder how a fermented item is so important. I did a bit of search on this. It turns out to be quiet a nutritious thing. And in term of ayurveda dahi has some of the biggest digestive capabilities. That explains why it is a component when we have rich and indolent food. Biryani is served with raita, curd rice is a preferred food item with chilli laden fares of the south india and finally as a tenderizer and gravy base in dishes like Mutton/ chicken rezala.
But this lactobacillus treated milk has changed the retail market in the last few decades like no other product. Hardly anybody I know set their own yoghurt. There was a recent feature on the telly about the European yoghurt market. It was a revelation! There is a billion euro worth of retail industry around this ‘afterthought’ of food.
I quiet like yoghurt-y desserts.. They do not have the diabetic level of sugar involved and the tinge of sourness is refreshing as well. They are easy to make ( i.e. assuming you don’t belong to the old school of setting your own dahi).
If you have survived on my treatise on yoghurt, then I am honoured. You will be duly rewarded with the light and fluffy bhapa doi recipe in down below.
Ingredients
- 250 ml of set yoghurt ( I use onken)
- 5 tbsp condensed milk
- 3 cardamon pods crushed
- 5-6 pistachios slivered for garnish
- Optional
- Sugar (accordingly to taste)
- Saffron 5-6 strands
- 2 spoonful milk powder
- 2 spoonful milk powder
Use a light tea towel or a square cloth from some old cotton scarf. Pour the yoghurt in and twist the cloth to make a potli. If you are planning this in advace tie the cloth to your washbasin tap to drain overnight. If pressed for time, like I always am..put it in a colander and fill up a heavy saucepan with water and put on top of this. Leave for at least an hour. More is better. I put the colander into a plate or big bowl and the use the liquid coming out for buttermilk.
Overnight or a couple of hours later add all the items on the ingredient (except the pistachios) and mix to a smooth consistency. You may want to leave items out depending on your taste. I sometimes do not use cardamom as it seems a common enough taste in sweets made by me. Sugar again is subjective. After the condensed milk you would need a spoon or too at the max anyways. Ensure that the sugar is not granulated. You can use castor sugar is you want. If you used granulated then it ends up spoiling the texture when we bake the doi.
Set you oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 6 for 10 mins to warm it up.
Now put small cake grease proof paper into the ramekins, if you do not have ramekins or cake moulds, do not worry. You can make do with any bowls (preferably small size). The cake-paper mould have two advantages. One they allow the wobbly bhapa doi to come out of the ramekins easily, two they give a nice ribbed texture to the sides.
Pour the prepared mixture into the bowls or ramekins you have selected. Fill the mixture only till halfway point. If you give it a lot of height it might fall over during serving.
Fill a baking tray with water such that when you place the bowls in it, the water level outside is same as the yoghurt level inside. Now there are two roads to take. You can cover the bowl with aluminium foil or leave it open. I have tired both and found it tastes same either ways. Maybe I am not doing something correct. You might want to try some both ways.
Put the baking tray in oven and let it cook for at least 30 mins.
You know its done, if you see the mixture leaving the sides of the mould. The idea is to evaporate all the water of the doi and cook the mixture to a pudding consistency with a jelly like wobbly aspect to it.
Be very very careful when taking out the tray. I have ended a couple of my trials with the final product taking a dunking in the water at this stage. As the water would be hot by this time so it can spill over you as well.
If you have used paper mould inside bowls or ramekins the next step is easy. Just pick up the cake mould and put a small plate over it and turn it around. Take off the paper.
Alternatively if you are working without the paper mould, you can serve it without doing anything more.
Garnish with sliced pistachios and strands of saffron for the lovely golden tinge.
