Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Breakfast

Misti Doi

Traditional 17. Misti Doi recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 liter full-fat milk (preferably Buffalo milk for creaminess)
• 100g sweetened condensed milk or 80g jaggery
• 50g khoya (milk solids), optional but traditional
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt with live cultures (starter)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch of saffron threads (optional)
• Clay pots for fermentation (traditionally preferred)

👩‍🍳 How to make Misti Doi

1. Boil milk (15 mins, high): Pour 1 liter milk into heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to rolling boil over high heat. Milk should boil vigorously, big bubbles breaking surface. Continue boiling 10-12 mins. This concentration develops caramelized flavor, reduces water content, creates creamy texture.
2. Reduce heat and continue (5 mins, medium): Reduce heat to medium, simmer 3-5 mins more. Surface should develop thin cream layer (malai). Total cooking should reduce milk to about 900ml.
3. Cool milk (15 mins, room temp): Pour into wide bowl, cool to 110°F (about 43°C)—warm but not hot. Test with clean finger: should feel warm but not burn. If using condensed milk, add while milk is still hot (100°F) so it dissolves evenly. If using jaggery, dissolve separately in warm water, add after milk cools to 110°F to preserve yogurt cultures.
4. Add khoya if using (2 mins, room temp): Grate khoya finely, mix into warm milk. It should dissolve evenly, add richness.
5. Mix in yogurt starter (2 mins, room temp): Take 1/4 cup cooled milk, mix with yogurt starter until smooth paste forms. Add this paste back into milk, stirring gently but thoroughly. All milk should be evenly inoculated with yogurt cultures.
6. Add aromatics (1 min, room temp): Add cardamom powder and saffron. Mix gently.
7. Pour into pots (2 mins, room temp): Pour into clay pots or small bowls. Cover with lids.
8. Incubate (6-8 hours, warm): Place pots in warm location—traditionally wrapped in thick cloth, placed in insulated box with hot water bottles. Temperature should stay at 110°F. Too hot (above 115°F) kills cultures; too cool (below 105°F) prevents setting. After 6-8 hours, pots should feel warm and yogurt should be set (when tilted, jiggles like jelly but doesn't pour).
9. Chill completely (4 hours or overnight, cold): Transfer to refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Cold stops fermentation. Top layer develops thin caramelized skin (preferred in Bengal).
10. Serve (2 mins, cold): Serve chilled in small bowls or pots, with skin intact if desired.

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