KOLKATAR LAAL MISHTI DOI

If 'Amrito' is far from me, I will bring it to my home.'Amrito' is a sweet shop in Northern Kolkata which is famous for its 'Laal Doi'.... sweetened red colour yogurt because of the use of jaggery or caramelised sugar in it. Having Amritor Laal Doi in a 100gm "bhar".... earthen pot is a ritual for me since childhood... and to be continued.... have you seen such a shameless diabetic.... you have not.... I am not even a good girl as my mother who eats 'neem pata bhaja without adding eggplant in it .... that is crispy fried young neem leaves with ghee.... I flatly denied to have and asked to spare me that... I am ok with bitter gourd, my men say no to that too.Those days are still not 'gone' when a Bengali's end of the meal dessert was inevitably  mishti doi and roshogolla or pantua. As we all know yogurt is considered auspicious among us and is a must in any ritual or prayer meets. Nonetheless to mention, during our examinations, the mother would put a big 'doi er phota'.... a dot with plain yogurt on the forehead, on the mathematics examination day that dot was bigger on the daughter's forehead..... oh mani ... how I regret not been able to fulfil your wishes. 

Coming to the yogurt, both sides of my family love yogurt, specially our late daddy loved it too much .... it had to be served with roshogolla to him. As of my brother, these days he is not much into sweets and desserts, but he definitely loves his share of mishti doi. His didibhai, this fat, old lady sends him 'Rakhi'... every year....... a sacred thread to be tied around the wrist of brothers  .... Sisters too should do that to each other, and friends too .... 30-35 years back, we did exactly that within the four walls of a classroom .... we used to exchange rakhi among us on the auspicious day of Rakhi Poornima. When I declared to my mother first that I have chosen T as my life partner, her shock was not that I chose it without letting them to decide for me but that... "mamoni... he is your Rakhi brother"..... I said,"no mani.... he is a dear friend.... not every person I meet is my brother or sister.... That is off course my belief.... once I came out of my mother's lap.

Sharing our very own, much loved 'laal mishti doi' was a natural choice today. I just wish to say try our 'laal mishti doi' and you got to get a wonderful chilled dessert option for life. On my last month's visit to Kolkata, I noticed most of the sweet shops are selling 'shada mishti doi' and not that much of 'laal mishti doi' alongside. To blog about a sweetened red coloured yogurt became an urge. My senior loved it and gave me a thumbs up. The junior will eat the western fruit yogurt, not really home set Bengali sweet yogurt; I compensate getting him his favourite Mac Meal or a Sushi Platter or a Pizza.... there is absolute harmony at my home.... just that they eat their beef outside, I eat my pork outside.... because I am fairly prejudiced and value the sentiments of my mother and my not that much of a friend maa-in-law. 

I have not sent a rakhi to my brother this year because we or to be precise he is not entitled to any celebration for a year, as if doing that makes him or us loving his father any less... my atheist men do not leave a single chance to take on me... you see darling / momci.... all the trouble in the world is because of religion.... look at us we do not react even when you guys shower us with not that acceptable adjectives. I really do not have anything to say.... he never has tried to impose his beliefs on me. 

Anyway, I hope you will love to prepare this no hassle, no pain, three ingredient chilled dessert... 'Kolkatar Laal Mishti Doi'..... sweetened red colour yogurt..... with milk, jaggery, plain yogurt.... I have used a little of caramelised sugar too. You definitely have to bear the setting time too.... that is somewhat between 8-10 hours... for me it takes that much. If you are in a hurry.... there is a baked option too which I have mentioned at the end of the post. Come let us enjoy preparing this Bengali chilled dessert together for our loved ones.

This was my 4th attempt at perfecting it and finally I could... I am immensely happy and satisfied. Wish you all who are celebrating this day a very HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN / SUBHA RAKHI POORNIMA...

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 1litre
Jaggery : 1/3medium cup [I used date palm jaggery]
Plain Yogurt : 1 small tea cup [beaten well]

Milk Powder : 1/2 medium tea cup size
Sugar : 2 tbsp [to caramelise]

METHOD :

We will boil the milk first. Take the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Place it atop gas oven and switch on the gas stove. Bring the milk to boil and keep boiling till it reduces to almost half and to a little of creamy colour. We should not let the milk to burn below and stir often. We will add the milk powder, stir well so no lump is there! 

Meanwhile, we will break and mash the jaggery as much as is possible with our right palm. As the milk reaches to the desired consistency, we will switch off the gas. Add the jaggery and stir constantly so that both the jaggery and the milk get to mix well.

Take the sugar and 1/4 small cup of water in a metal bowl and place atop gas. Switch on the gas and stir constantly till the mixture turns dark brown. Pour it atop the milk and jaggery mixture and give a gentle stir.

Pour the entire mixture to a glass / earthen bowl, add the beaten yogurt and give a gentle stir. We must remember that at this stage the milk mixture has to be lukewarm.

Cover the bowl with a lid, place a big vessel upside down on it to cover it entirely. Wrap a thick towel around it. It will take 8-10 hours for the yogurt to set properly. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

If you are in a hurry for this mouthwatering Bengali dessert, there is a QUICK, BAKED version, which is not authentic but the taste remains same. You will take some water in a bake proof tray. Place the milk mixture pot in the middle of it. Cover with aluminium foil. Preheat oven for 5 minutes at 180*C. Place the tray with pot inside the oven. Bake at 180*C for 25-30 minutes or adjust according to your oven settings. Once done take out, let cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.