Mishti doi | Misti doi recipe | Kolkata mishti doi recipe | Lal doi

Mishti doi aka misti doi recipe is a classic Bengali sweet recipe which is crazily popular among Bengalis. The main reason behind its popularity is its unique flavour, irresistible taste and extraordinary velvety texture which melts in the mouth. In this preparation, milk is cooked and mixed with caramelised sugar. After reducing heat, it is mixed with a small amount of hang yogurt. Then the mixture is covered and kept in a warm and dry place to get fermented and set. Kolkata mishti doi recipe is a pure Bengali delicacy which has been spreading happiness, warmth and comfort to every bong’s life for years with its inimitable taste.

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Mishti Doi (step wise photos)
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Mishti doi is a classic Bengali sweet recipe where the word mishti means sweet and doi means yogurt. The straight-forward translation of mishti doi is sweetened yogurt. It is also referred to as lal doi because of the reddish hue.

Kolkata misti doi is rich, super thick and smooth in texture and melts in the mouth. Traditionally caramelized sugar is used to sweeten the yogurt. Caramelized sugar is mixed with milk and thickens slightly. Then allowed the mixture to become warm. A small portion of hung yogurt is mixed with the content and transferred to an earthen, terracotta, or clay pot to set and ferment. It is said that earthen pots absorb the excessive moisture of the doi and give a thick, dense but at the same time soft and creamy texture. The earthen pot is swathed in cloth and kept in a warm and dry place overnight so that the yogurt gets set.

Every Bengali feels nostalgic whenever they talk about mishti doi recipe. There is an eternal bonding between Bongs and misti doi. As a Bengali, I always get emotional when I talk about it. According to me, every Bengali would have countless beautiful memories of this extraordinary delight. The name mishti doi sounds like music to a hardcore Bengali and triggers their taste buds.

Nowadays the charisma of Kolkata mishti doi has spread all over the nation and many non-Bengali people are aware of its charm. All thanks to our globalization. But still, for many people, it is quite complicated to understand the love which consists in every Bengalis’ heart for mishti doi.

Mishti doi recipe is always more than a dessert for every Bengali. For a Bengali, there are numerous emotions that are involved with the authentic Bengali dessert. Mishti Doi is a necessary part of a Bengali meal. Whether it is Annaprasan or a Marriage ceremony or a Matshamukhi (after-death ceremony), any occasion is almost incomplete without it. On most occasions, the meal ends up with misti doi.

Even it is an auspicious part of many rituals and celebrations too. In our Vedas, curd aka yogurt is mentioned as the food of the Gods. It is one of the reasons which explain why the appearance of mishti doi in religious and festive occasions like Durga puja, Lakhhi puja, Kali puja, Pohela baisakh is so significant.

Mishti doi recipe is sold in almost every Bengali sweet shop with which you can guess the unparallel popularity of the dessert. During summer, in the humid climate, chilled mishti doi, is a scrumptious way to beat the heat.

I am obsessed with mishti doi and when I was in West Bengal, I used to buy it frequently from stores and used to preserve them in a refrigerator for weeks. But after coming to London, I started craving for mishti doi other than payesh and pithe-puli. Then I decided to roll up my sleeves and prepare it at home to satisfy my appetite.

When I prepared misti doi at home for the first time, it came up quite well but was not fantastic. After gathering all the knowledge to prepare doi recipe, I took a second attempt and it tasted exactly like the market-bought ones. My husband just dug into it and finished almost half of the mishti doi that I prepared. Now, it’s compulsory to prepare misti doi during Durga puja to enjoy “Bangaliana”.

There are many variations that can be done in misti doi other than the traditional way.

• You can reduce the milk to half or one-third and make it thick in texture. Then following the same procedure, you can prepare kheer doi. Kheer doi is denser, rich and slightly sticky in texture as compared to mishti doi aka lal doi.
• Other than that, you can add a different flavour to the authentic mishti doi and customize it. For example, you can add a pinch of cardamom powder, saffron streaks and even vanilla extract for flavouring.
• The addition of Nolen Gur aka date palm jaggery instead of sugar as a sweetener in misti doi is a winter speciality.
• You can also add fresh fruit pulp into the milk mixture and prepare a tropical sweet yogurt recipe. For example, mango yogurt is one of the most popular versions of it.
• For some extra crunch, you can add a choice of your nuts into it. You can add chopped almond, pistachio, cashew nuts, hazel nuts and raisins too.

Mishti doi aka misti doi recipe is a very simple and easy recipe prepared with only three basic ingredients. It is a rapid dessert recipe which gets cooked very quickly but takes time to get set. In this recipe, I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. If you follow the steps precisely then it will taste better than the market-bought ones.

Milk: The primary ingredient of the recipe which provides a base for the dessert. Always use full-fat milk for the recipe.

Sugar: It is used to sweeten the yogurt. The sugar is caramelized and then mixed with milk.

Yogurt: Small amount of yogurt is added to the milk for fermentation. Hung yogurt works best for the recipe.

Mishti doi with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe.

• Boil the milk and reduce it slightly. Don’t reduce it too much or else the mishti doi will become slightly sticky in texture.
• Always caramelize the sugar on low to medium-low flame. Don’t turn the flame high because it gets burnt very quickly on a high flame.
• Always keep at least 1 cup of milk ready during the time of caramelizing the sugar. Once the caramelization has been done, pour the milk into it and give a quick mix. Or else the sugar may get overcooked and taste bitter.
• The yogurt which has to be added to milk should be hung for an hour with cheesecloth so that the water gets separated.
• Whisk the yogurt till creamy before adding the milk into it.
• Allow the caramelized milk mixture to become warm before mixing with yogurt. It should be warm that you can dip your finger.
• Add the sweeten warm milk slowly into the yogurt and mix it thoroughly and evenly.
• Then pour the misti doi mixture into the earthen pot and cover it with aluminium foil, paper or a plate. If you don’t have an earthen pot then you can use a glass utensil.
• Keep the pot in a warm and dry place like a cupboard or in a microwave or oven and don’t disturb it for at least 8 hours.
• The duration to set the mishti doi depends on the climate of your place. If you stay in a hot place and you are preparing mishti doi in summer then it gets set within 8 hours. In winter or cold places, it may take 10-12 hours to get set.
• Misti doi always takes longer to set than normal yogurt. So don’t get afraid.
• Once the mishti doi gets set, refrigerate it.

To prepare mishti doi, first place a sieve in a large mixing bowl. Then line the sieve with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Add ½ cup yogurt into cheesecloth and gather the sides of cloths. Allow the yogurt to sit for an hour so the water gets separated from yogurt.

In the mean time take 1 litre full fat milk into a pan and put it on flame. Allow the milk to boil and stir it in between once or twice. Once the milk gets boiled, turn the flame low and reduce it to 800ml. It takes around 10 minutes to do that. Don’t reduce the milk too much or else the misti doi will become slightly sticky and turn to kheer doi. Once it is done, switch off the flame. Keep one cup of milk ready to pour into the caramelized sugar.

On the other hand, take another pan and add sugar to it. Put the flame on medium low and allow the sugar to melt slowly. No need to stir initially. Once all the sugar melts, stir it quickly and allow it to turn brown in colour. Then add 1 cup milk immediately into the caramelized sugar and mix it quickly. Then add the rest of the milk and give a nice stir.

Initially, the caramelized sugar will get solidified but slowly melt in the milk. Then you will get a nice reddish colour into the milk. Cook the milk for another 5-8 minutes till slightly thick and then switch off the flame. Allow the content to release heat and become warm. Check the temperature by dipping your finger. You should not feel uncomfortable because of the heat.

After one hour transfer the yogurt into a bowl and whisk it with a fork or whisker till smooth. Then add the warm milk mixture slowly into the yogurt and mix it thoroughly. Add the rest of the milk and mix it thoroughly till frothy.

Now pour the mishti doi mixture into the pot where you want it to get set. Traditionally misti doi is always set in earthen pots. Then cover the content with either paper or aluminium foil.

There are three different ways to fermentate and set the mishti doi.

1. In the traditional way, cover the pot very carefully with a warm cloth and keep it in a warm and dry place like a kitchen cupboard or inside a casserole overnight or at least for 8-12 hours to set the mishti doi. The time may vary due to the climate or weather of your place. Don’t disturb the pot in between or else the Kolkata misti doi will not get set.
2. You can take a big pan and keep a stand or plate on it. Place the misti doi pot on it carefully and cover it with a cloth. Close the lid of the pan and put the pan on the lowest flame of the small hob for 3 hours. The yogurt will get set instantly. The time may vary due to the heat and quantity of the yogurt to be set.
3. Preheat the oven to 120℃ for 15 minutes and switch off. Place the mishti doi pot into the oven very carefully. Every hour, switch on the oven for 15 minutes at 120℃ and then switch it off. In this way, the oven will stay warm for longer. For me, it took 5 hours to set the mishti doi. I have switched on the oven 4 more times after preheating the oven.

Once the mishti doi gets set, refrigerate it and serve it chilled after meal as a dessert.

Many Bengali sweet recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Rosogolla
Nolen gurer Sandesh
Malai chum chum
Chanar payesh

..And Many more…

1 Cup = 250 ml

• 1 litre full fat Milk
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ½ cup plain Yogurt

1. First place a sieve on a large mixing bowl. Then line the sieve with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Add ½ cup yogurt into cheesecloth and gather the sides of the cloth and roll it slightly. Allow the yogurt to sit for an hour so the water gets separated from yogurt.
2. In the meantime, take 1-litre full-fat milk into a pan and put it on flame. Allow the milk to boil and stir it in between once or twice. Once the milk gets boiled, turn the flame low and reduce it to 800ml. Stir frequently or else it will stick to the bottom of the pan. It takes around 10 minutes to reduce the milk. Once it is done, switch off the flame. Keep one cup of milk ready for the next step. Note: Don’t reduce the milk too much then the misti doi will become slightly sticky and turn to kheer doi.
3. On the other hand, take another pan and add ¾ cup sugar into it. Put the flame in medium low and allow the sugar to melt slowly. No need to stir initially. Once all the sugar melts, stir it and allow it to turn brown in colour.
4. Add 1 cup of milk immediately into the caramelized sugar and mix it quickly.
5. Add the rest of the milk and give a nice stir. Initially, the caramelized sugar will get solidified but slowly get melted in the milk. Then you will get a nice reddish colour into the milk. Cook the milk for another 5-8 minutes till slightly thick and then switch off the flame.
6. Allow the content to release heat and become warm. Check the temperature by dipping your finger. You should not feel uncomfortable because of the heat.
7. Transfer the yogurt from the cheesecloth to a bowl and whisk it with a fork or whisker till smooth.
8. Add a small amount of warm caramelized milk mixture slowly into the yogurt and mix it thoroughly. Add the rest of the milk and mix it thoroughly till frothy.
9. Now pour the mishti doi mixture into the pot where you want to set it. Traditionally misti doi is always set in earthen pots. Then cover the content with either paper or aluminium foil.

There are three different ways to set the mishti doi.

1. In the traditional way, cover the pot very carefully with a warm cloth and keep it in a warm and dry place like a kitchen cupboard or inside a casserole overnight or at least for 8-12 hours to set the mishti doi. The time may vary due to the climate or weather of your place. Don’t disturb the pot in between or else the Kolkata misti doi will not get set.
2. You can take a big pan and keep a stand or plate on it. Place the misti doi pot on it carefully and cover it with a cloth. Close the lid of the pan and put the pan on the lowest flame of the small hob for 3 hours. The yogurt will get set instantly. The time may vary due to the heat and quantity of the yogurt to be set.
3. Preheat the oven to 120°C for 15 minutes and switch off. Place the mishti doi pot into the oven very carefully. Every hour, switch on the oven for 15 minutes at 120°C and then switch it off. In this way, the oven will stay warm for longer. For me, it took 5 hours to set the mishti doi. I have switched on the oven 4 more times after preheating the oven.

You can store the mishti doi in the refrigerator for a week.

Serve the mishti doi chilled or at room temperature to enjoy its best taste. Serve it after a meal as a dessert and enjoy the Bengali delicacy.

Mishti doi | Misti doi recipe | Kolkata mishti doi recipe | Lal doi

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 Cup = 250 ml

• 1 litre full fat Milk
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ½ cup plain Yogurt

Instructions

1. First place a sieve on a large mixing bowl. Then line the sieve with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Add ½ cup yogurt into cheesecloth and gather the sides of the cloth and roll it slightly. Allow the yogurt to sit for an hour so the water gets separated from yogurt.
2. In the meantime, take 1-litre full-fat milk into a pan and put it on flame. Allow the milk to boil and stir it in between once or twice. Once the milk gets boiled, turn the flame low and reduce it to 800ml. Stir frequently or else it will stick to the bottom of the pan. It takes around 10 minutes to reduce the milk. Once it is done, switch off the flame. Keep one cup of milk ready for the next step. Note: Don’t reduce the milk too much then the misti doi will become slightly sticky and turn to kheer doi.
3. On the other hand, take another pan and add ¾ cup sugar into it. Put the flame in medium low and allow the sugar to melt slowly. No need to stir initially. Once all the sugar melts, stir it and allow it to turn brown in colour.
4. Add 1 cup of milk immediately into the caramelized sugar and mix it quickly.
5. Then add the rest of the milk and give a nice stir. Initially, the caramelized sugar will get solidified but slowly get melted in the milk. Then you will get a nice reddish colour into the milk. Cook the milk for another 5-8 minutes till slightly thick and then switch off the flame.
6. Allow the content to release heat and become warm. Check the temperature by dipping your finger. You should not feel uncomfortable because of the heat.
7. Transfer the yogurt from the cheesecloth to a bowl and whisk it with a fork or whisker till smooth.
8. Then add a small amount of warm caramelized milk mixture slowly into the yogurt and mix it thoroughly. Add the rest of the milk and mix it thoroughly till frothy.
9. Now pour the mishti doi mixture into the pot where you want to set it. Traditionally misti doi is always set in earthen pots. Then cover the content with either paper or aluminium foil.

There are three different ways to set the mishti doi.

1. In the traditional way, cover the pot very carefully with a warm cloth and keep it in a warm and dry place like a kitchen cupboard or inside a casserole overnight or at least for 8-12 hours to set the mishti doi. The time may vary due to the climate or weather of your place. Don’t disturb the pot in between or else the Kolkata misti doi will not get set.
2. You can take a big pan and keep a stand or plate on it. Place the misti doi pot on it carefully and cover it with a cloth. Close the lid of the pan and put the pan on the lowest flame of the small hob for 3 hours. The yogurt will get set instantly. The time may vary due to the heat and quantity of the yogurt to be set.
3. Preheat the oven to 120°C for 15 minutes and switch off. Place the mishti doi pot into the oven very carefully. Every hour, switch on the oven for 15 minutes at 120°C and then switch it off. In this way, the oven will stay warm for longer. For me, it took 5 hours to set the mishti doi. I have switched on the oven 4 more times after preheating the oven.