BHAPA DOI / BENGALI STEAMED SWEET CURD (WITHOUT OVEN)

Bhapa Doi  or Steamed curd is a slight variation from the traditional Bengali Mishti Doi recipe. I tried this recipe and trust me,it came out really delicious . 

It is very simple to make, tastes as good as Mishti doi (Lal Doi ) . I did not use any oven to make this.You will need only gas burner and a pressure cooker and very few ingredients for this recipe. It is less effort and time consuming, than the lal doi or mishti doi. 

I will describe the recipe in a very simple way,so that,it will be easy even for a very nauvice cook to try it.

 

Without wasting any more time ,let us start preparing......

Ingredients : 

• Sweetened condensed milk - 1 tin (room temperature)
• Normal sour curd - 2 cups (1 cup: 200 ml approx...room temperature )
• Curd Condensed milk ratio to be adjusted according to taste and sourness of the curd.
• green cardamom powder : half teaspoon

Process : 

 

• In a deep bowl, beat the curd for a few minutes,until it is smooth and without any lump. 
• Add the cardamom powder and the condensed milk and beat to a smooth thick batter again. 
• Beating should be done with hands. Use of beater or mixi will make it runny.
• Sit the pressure cooker on gas burner . flame should be high. 
• The bowl,in which you are going to steam the curd,should fit in the pressure cooker. Otherwise, you may use a big and deep vessel with cover,in place of pressure cooker.
• Pour water in the pressure cooker or the big vessel to a level,so that your cooking bowl is submerged in water only to the lower level. 
• Cover and bring the water to a boil.
• In the meanwhile, grease the cooking bowl lightly and pour the curd condensed milk mixture in it.
• Keep a steel dish or separator in the boiling water. This will keep your cooking bowl steady while steaming.
• Now cover the cooking bowl and carefully place it on the separator. 
• Remove the vent weight (whistle) from the pressure cooker lid. Cover the pressure cooker and let it steam for about 15 minutes.
• If you are using any other vessel in place of pressure cooker, the cover should be heavy. You can put some weight over the cover.
• Your Bhapa doi should be ready in 10 to 15 minutes. If needed, steam for 2/3 minutes more. Remember, if you steam for too long, it might turn hard.
• switch the burner off. The contents might look slightly soft. don't worry. Let it cool down. Then refrigerate it for 3/4 hours. Then Bhapa Doi will be completely set.
• Serve chilled and enjoy the delicious taste of Bengali Bhapa Doi. 

Note :

•  Bhapa doi is usually whitish in colour, It is not the usual mishti doi or Lal doi. Still, if you want to give it a reddish colour, you can add 3/4 tablespoon of caramelized milk with the curd condensed milk batter. 
•  Heat 1 tea spoon ghee. add 2 tea spoon sugar in it and keep stirring until the sugar melts and takes a dark brown colour.
• Add half a cup of milk and bring it to a boil. 
• Cool it a little. It should be warm,not hot or totally cold. 
• Than add it to the curd condensed milk mixture. 
• You can also make this doi in microwave. In a large microwave safe bowl/ container, fill some water so that , the bowl with curd mixture  is submerged about 1to 2 inches only, when you place it in the bigger bowl . Bake it for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees.
• you can garnish it with chopped nuts or strands of saffron or raisin....anything,according to your choice. 
• Enjoy.