Bhapa Doi (with saffron and mango)

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Indian sweets or mithais as we call them are a significant part of our cuisine.

They satiate not just our sweet cravings by serving as desserts but they are also an integral part of our pujas, festivals and in fact the cultural fabric of India. The mithai serves as the chadava/ offering that we make to our Gods. It is also the prasad that we receive post puja or the sweets that we offer to our guests during festivities, marriages etc.

In a nutshell, mithai is a very important part of Indian cuisine. So then, it is no surprise that we make so many different kinds of them. In fact, their origin and the ingredients are both reflective of the deep cultural heritage that Indian has. Depending on the geographical location/the state, the mithai undergoes additions to its ingredients.

One such sweet is the Bhapa Doi or steamed Yogurt.

The origin of this sweet yogurt that is steamed is in the Eastern part of India, in the state of West Bengal. It is part of the elaborate Durga Puja festival that occurs once a year, when Mother Durga (and her eight ‘avatars’) is worshiped. This sweet is served as an offering to the Goddess and is called the Mishti Mukh!

And, it is very simple to prepare. The ingredients used for making this are easily available. And the best part is that you can make it with a lot of additions to add flavour like chocolate, almonds etc. I prefer to make it with Mango and saffron.

This is my recipe. It will serve 4 people.

BHAPA DOI (with Mango and Saffron)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup hung/curd Or Greek Yogurt
• 2 large mangoes, pureed (about 1 cup approx)
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk (I used Nestle)
• 1/4 Cup lukewarm  milk
• Two small pinches of saffron strands for flavouring + a pinch for garnish
• 1 tsp Mango essence (If you don’t have mango essence then you can substitute it with vanilla essence)
• 1 tbsp milk powder
• ¼ tsp cardamom seed powder (If you use vanilla essence then omit the cardamom.)
• 8-10 pieces of pistachios for garnish (you can use slivered almonds or any other dry fruit of your choice)
• Oil for greasing the ramekins (I used 3x 3 inch ones)
• 1 tbsp sugar (optional, as per taste)

Note – Greek Yogurt is basically really thick yogurt. But, if you don’t have that then use the following method to get thick yogurt

Making the hung curd- Curd set in whole cream milk is best for this recipe. About 1 litre of milk set as curd will yield about 1 cup (slightly more) of hung curd. Hung curd is basically curd from which the whey has been removed. To get the desired thickness, in a cheesecloth or a muslin cloth tie the curd and suspend/hang it on a hook so that the whey drips out (be sure to place a bowl underneath to catch the whey else you will end up with a messy kitchen counter). Allow the curd to hang for about 3-4 hours. At the end of that time you will get really thick and creamy curd. That is what we need for the recipe.

METHOD

1. In the lukewarm ¼ cup of milk dissolve the 1 tbsp of milk powder. Stir to ensure that there are no lumps. Then add the saffron strands (reserve some for garnish) and let them soak for about 10 minutes till their colour infuses into the milk.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
3. Grease your ramekins and keep them aside.
4. In a blender add the hung curd, mango puree, condensed milk and saffron induced milk. Blend till no lumps are visible and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste the mixture to adjust sweetness. If you prefer your dessert sweeter then you can add sugar at this stage but be sure to blend it well so that no granules remain.
5. Pour the mixture into the greased ramekins, filling them slightly more than 2/3^rd.
6. 
7. Cover each ramekin with an aluminium foil
8. The ramekins need to be placed in a water bath while baking. So, take a flat bottomed baking dish and place the covered ramekins in it. Fill the dish with hot water till it is up to 2/3^rd of the level of the ramekins.
9. Bake this at a 180 deg C for about 40 minutes. I use a microwave oven so it takes that long but if you use a regular oven then check the bhapa doi around the 20 minute mark. Insert a toothpick in the center to check if they are done.
10. 
11. Once done, remove them carefully from the oven and let them cool down naturally.
12. Garnish with saffron strands and pistachios. Cover them again and chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
13. 

Rasgullas