Bhapa Doi

When you must have a creamy dessert and still not worry too much about calories you can make Bhapa doi. In simple English Bhapa Doi is steamed curd the Bengalis would say. It is a delicious dessert that can be whipped, steamed and chilled. Yeah the chilling time is the longest in this recipe else everything else is quick. This is also a dessert that can be made ahead of time and served at a party.

The basic bhapa doi can be decorated with nuts and dry fruits, oh! why even fresh fruits would be good. I chose to decorate with soaked raisins and sultanas and a handful of crushed walnuts to give it some texture.

While in the Western cooking you have a baked cheesecake and a no-bake one, here is a steamed cheesecake of Indian origins actually a Bengali Mishti. It makes me wonder how this got created? Condensed milk was not a common place ingredient in an Indian kitchen until a decade ago. Who created it and what was the need that spurred this creation? Was it created in a home or a restaurant or a Mishti shop?

Till some one educates me more on it, here is the recipe that I arrived at after a lot of googling and my gut feel about what will give me the best consistency. This turned out a luscious dessert.

Ingredients

The Basic Doi

1 tin Amul mithai mate
1 cup well set homemade curd
1/2 cup milk
2 big pinch nutmeg powder

In a big bowl take all the ingredients and 1 big pinch nutmeg powder. Beat till smooth and homogenized. In an aluminum tin or jelly mould pour the mix. In a pressure cooker add enough water and place a ring or vessel to give some height. Put the mould over it and steam for 25 to 30 mins. Let it cool completely and then sprinkle a big pinch nutmeg powder over it. Chill in the fridge for atleast 4-5 hrs before serving.

For the garnish

1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon sultanas
1 tablespoon crushed walnuts

While the Bhapa Doi is chilling in the fridge. Boil water and add the raisins and sultanas to it. Let them soak till you need to serve. Drain the soaked raisins and sultanas on a sieve, keep the water. Use them to garnish. Save the water, it is laden with the sugar from the dry fruits and use to sweeten your cold drinks.

To serve, unmould the Bhapa doi into a serving dish and garnish with chopped walnuts and soaked raisins and sultanas.

Serves 4 generous portions or 6 small ones.

Updated: 15 Oct 2012

Another time powdered with Pistachios and in this one skipped the cup of milk to get a Bhapa doi that can be cut up like a cake for my bro, Sumeet's birthday. It was so much like Kharwas!