Kesariya Mishti Doi (Saffrony Sweet Set Yogurt)

I was bemused, I was confused, sailing deep in some thoughts, I lost my stride, and now I finally see myself here, battling with words to pen down something that can make sense...lol :P

Blogging for months and then resting for even more makes it so weird when you finally decide to pull your socks on and get back in the old world again. In a few days, perhaps I shall get my ebullience to write with power and grace back....fingers crossed! :)

Didn't know what to start with, was not able to settle on anything from my drafts, and the wintery weather of Amsterdam with almost no sun-light giving me the least zeal to capture even a single good click, I finally squared up on this simple fusion recipe. I am an ardent dahi/ yogurt lover and had been thinking for long to post something that could bring on the sugary sweet flavors from Bengal and some aroma and tinge from Rajasthan. The easiest recipe I could imagine of was this 'Kesariya Mishti Doi', set in a Bengali way and which still tasted like Rajasthani Shrikhand.

With no hanging up of the curd, with no hard work to cream it together, this was indeed the easiest, creamiest yogurt I tasted to my soul. Jumping on directly to the recipe, here I go....

 

KESARIYA MISHTI DOI (SAFFRONY SWEET YOGURT)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Setting Time: 6 hrs - 12 hrs

Health Meter:

Yoghurt, got its name from the Turkish word “yogurur”, which means “long life” .

 

Not only does yogurt provide your body with active cultures, yogurt bacteria has shown to prevent yeast infections, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections, relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and help reduce bloating. Yogurt is more than a delicious snack, it also contains ingredients that keep your body healthy!

Ingredients:

1. Full Cream Milk: 500 ml

2. Sugar: 1 and a half tbs/ as per taste

3. Few saffron strands

4. 2 tbs yogurt culture/ curd

Method:

1. Take 500 ml of full cream milk in a heavy pan/wok and take a boil. 
2. Now let the milk simmer and keep on stirring in between to avoid any milk sticking to the bottom. Continue heating till the milk reduces to half. 
3. During this process, the cream will start floating on the top. If you want to have clear, smooth yogurt, then keep removing the extra cream layer and save this in some box for other use. 
4. If you like to have creamy, layered yogurt, then you may slide n stick the cream layers on the sides of the pan and top them over the milk at last, just before setting.
5. When the milk has reduced to half, add sugar to it and give a quick stir.
6. Let it rest and go luke-warm.
7. Now take two small earthen pots/ bowls/ cups and pour the warm milk in them. 
8. Add yogurt to these and give a stir. 
9. Add the saffron strands and cover them.
10. Keep these pots/bowls in a warm place for 6-12 hrs (Till the yogurt sets and water leaves the side of the pot/bowl.)
11. If you like that sour tinge, then keep them for a longer while. 
12. After the yogurt is properly set, refrigerate it for 2 hrs and serve chilled.

 

Suggestions:

1. If you are setting the yogurt in an earthen pot, then put slightly hot milk in it so as to make the vessel warm. After some time, when it becomes luke warm, add yogurt to it. If you directly put luke warm milk in an earthen vessel, the curd/yogurt might not set as the vessel remains colder.
2. Never add yogurt to hot milk. It will cause curdling of the milk. Never add it to cold milk else the yogurt will not be formed and set. Temperature plays vital role in making yogurt.
3.  Either keep the vessel in some warm place, or in a heated oven, or the best way is to keep it on another big vessel containing hot water/milk. This is my mum's trick. She always sets curd by keeping the bowl over hot milk pot/vessel. By the time the milk cools down, it gives enough heat to the yogurt bowl to set it. Her yogurt sets up in 3-4 hrs usually; mine takes a longer time. :)
4. Never immerse the yogurt bowl in the vessel of hot water. Rather, cover the bigger hot water vessel with a flat lid/plate and put your covered yogurt bowl over it. 
5. Don't be eager to touch the yogurt bowl every now and then to see if it got all set or not. Also, never move that pot/bowl here and there. Shifting and moving affect the setting process adversely. 
6. The milk is already sweetened, hence the yogurt will be sweetened as well. No need to add sugar to it later, neither do you need to cream it up. Serve it as it is...creamy, sweet n yummy! :)