Bhapa Doi

Blogging Marathon # 35 Week 3 Day 3

Theme : Regional Recipes with Course Specific - Bengali

Course : Dessert

Bhapa doi is traditional delicacy of Bengal, made from sweetened thick milk and curd, steamed to set almost like cheese cake. The traditional recipe is time consuming one as you have to reduce sweet milk, set curd or yogurt, mix reduced milk and curd and steam to set further. I am sharing you the very popular and quicker version of Bhapa doi by adding condense milk or evaporated milk instead of reducing milk. Is very refreshing in summer and had once when we attended Bengali marriage and asked the recipe from Malika aunty who is known for her Bengali sweets in our circle, she is acclaimed Bengali cook among our group and in the Bengali community of Lagos.


There are so many Bengali sweets loaded with sugar, this is exceptional as the amount of sugar is less and also very healthy and gluten free dessert which can be prepared under 30 mins time. The most interesting part is you can make it diabetic friendly as sugar can be substituted as other Bengali sweets such as Rasorgulla, Rasmalai, Mawa Sandwich, Chamcham, Kheer kadam, and so on need to be cooked in sugar syrup.

In India curd and milk is used in our day to day life and making sweet from curd and milk is something unique to Bengal. Bhapa doi can be made in many ways such as you can steam it, bake it or can make in microwave also. There are many variations available nowadays in the sweet shops, such as orange, mango, rose, chocolate but i personally believe that all this creativity is good but some dishes are best when you retain its original form or keep the authentic flavour.

 Yes use of short cut are accepted like use of condense milk to reduce the cooking is okay as it does not change the original flavour but adding some artificial and flavours like chocolate, mocha is strictly no no for me.

Preparation time : 5 min

Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 4

Difficulty level : Medium 

Ingredients For Bhapa doi:

• 1/2 cups of  thick curd or yougurt
• 1/2 cup full cream milk
• 1/2 cup or 180 gm condense milk / sweet evaporated milk
• 5 pistachios/ pista slivered
• 5 almonds/ badam slivered
• 1/4 tsp ealichi / cardamom powder
• pinch of crushed eliachi
• pinch saffron

Other things required:

• foil to wrap
• ramekins
• bowl
• whisker
• pot for steaming 

Method for Bhapa Doi:

• Mix curd, milk and condensed milk in a bowl.
• Add half the pista, almond, eliachi powder and saffron.
• Mix well and pour equally into ramekins. Garnish with rest pista and almond and crushed elaichi.
• Cover the ramekins with foil.
• Put ramekins in the pressure cooker on steamer stand or use a stand and place plate on top of it in a pot with water.
• Place the ramkeins on the plate, cover and steam cook for 20 mins on low flame.
• After 20 mins if you feel it is not set steam for further 5 mins.
• Remove from steamer, slightly lift the foil and allow it cool naturally.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hrs or overnight.
• Serve chilled 

For for Baking:

• Place the ramekin in baking tray filled with water till half.
• Bake for 200 c for 30 mins in preheated oven.

For for Microwave:

• Use microwavable ramekin, cover with cling.
• Prick the cling and microwave for 5 mins on 500 power.

Note:

• Use heat proof ramekin as any normal glass may crack while steam cooking.
• Place the ramekin in the center of the baking tray, if the bowl touches the corner bowl might crack due to change in the temp.
• If you do not get condensed milk substitute it with evaporated milk and add sugar to your taste and cook for 5 mins.
• You can also use steel plate or aluminium plate or bowl to make the bhapa doi.
• Do not use sour curd as the end result would be curdled doi due to high acidity.
• Best if you can chill it overnight.
• For making diabetic version add sugar free / splendia / equal in evaporated milk and reduce to the quantity required i.e. you would need 11/2 cup of evaporated milk to make your own 1 cup of condensed or sweetener condense milk.   

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#35

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Regards, 

Briju Parthasarathy