Mishti Doi - Sweet Yogurt bengali style

Mishti doi stands next to Rosogolla and Sondesh in the bengali dessert line up. It is served at weddings and parties and is loved by all bengalees. This is again something you don't easily find outside India, hence the need to make it yourself if you want to have it. Don't get scared by the ingredients, have in small portions when no one is looking.

Ingredients: for 20 people

- 1 can (12 ounce) evaporated whole milk
- 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
- 11/4 can of whole milk yogurt. Pour into evaporated milk can for measure. 1 full can and then little less than half
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a bowl add all the ingredients. Don't use the whole can of condensed milk, I use about 3/4th can
3. Whip the mixture by hand or power whisk
4. Pour the mixture in a corningware (or glass) square bowl,  about 6 inches square and 4 inches deep
5. Bake in the oven for 30 mins and turn the oven off. Leave the bowl in the oven for 2 hours.
6. Take out of the oven, let it cool for 30 minutes.
7. Chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve

Posted by: Chitra

Chena Poda Pitha (Baked Cheese Cake)

Chena poda pitha, is a very popular dessert from Orissa. You will find it served in puja's, at dinner, for snacks or whenever you have some craving for sweets. The original was made from Chana, or curdled milk, but nowadays Ricotta cheese is the fasted way to make it.


Posted by: Deepa D

Ingredients:
Ricotta cheese: 1 lb -1 tub
Sugar: 1/2 of the tub
Butter: 1/4 cup of butter
Fine Sooji: 1 tablespoon

Procedure:
Mix the above in a mixing bowl and beat well with a beater or by hand
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit
Place the mixture in a buttered nonstick pan
Bake for 3 -3 1/2 hrs until the top turns brown. Keep checking to ensure it does not get burnt.
Remove and let it cool.
Cut into pieces of desired size.

Bon appetit!

Sujeer paayesh (semolina kheer) - sooji dessert custard

Posted by: Mala D

Bengalies are famous for their "sweet tooth". Infact people from other communities often complain that we even make our curries & lentils sweet by adding sugar to them! Semolina kheer takes far less time to cook than rice kheer & is not as common as semiya kheer.

Ingredients:
Semolina: 3 tablespoons
Milk: 1 litre full cream
Sugar: 75 gms
Date palm syrup/ jaggery: 100gms
Fried cashew nuts: 12 nos
Desi ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:
Boil milk in a saucepan. In a deep & wide vessel, heat ghee & fry the semolina till the raw smell goes away. Now add about 750 ml of milk & stir continously to avoid the formation of lumps. After 5 minutes, add sugar & mix thoroughly. When kheer looks almost done (about another 3-4 minutes), add the date palm syrup, stirring throughout. Check the sweetness. Add more if required. Close the flame. Decorate with fried cashew nuts. As the paayesh tends to thicken when cooled, add the remaining 250 ml milk to adjust the consistency: it's thicker than seviyan but thinner than rice kheer.

Note: this kheer is made using date palm syrup which gives it a unique taste & flavour. Infact Bengalis eagerly wait for the winter so they can have their favourite "patali gur" sweets. It's available in ethnic Bangladeshi stores. Syrup form is better than jaggery as it never lets the milk curdle.