Mishti Doi

It ferments overnight in earthenware, whose porous walls both thicken it and hold the temperature.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (whole milk), dairy (yogurt).

Ingredients

• 1.5 litres whole milk
• 200 g date palm jaggery, or dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons live plain yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Method

1. IT FERMENTS OVERNIGHT IN EARTHENWARE, WHOSE POROUS WALLS BOTH THICKEN IT AND HOLD THE TEMPERATURE. Its article explains why the pot is not optional, and the reasoning is worth repeating: earthenware is ALWAYS used, because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yoghurt but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture. So the pot is doing two jobs a glass bowl does neither of -- wicking water out through the sides, and buffering the warmth. Set in glass you get a looser, paler curd and you have to work harder to keep it warm.
2. THE MILK IS BOILED AND ONLY SLIGHTLY THICKENED FIRST. Its article says boiled until slightly thickened -- not reduced to a third like the Bengali evaporated milk, and not left thin. Fifteen minutes at a brisk simmer, down by perhaps a fifth.
3. THE JAGGERY IS DATE PALM IF YOU CAN GET IT. Its article names gura or khejur gura -- brown sugar or date molasses. Date palm jaggery is what gives the dish its particular smoky caramel note and its colour; plain sugar makes a sweet curd that is not this one.
4. IT IS SWEETENED WHILE HOT AND THEN COOLED TO BLOOD HEAT BEFORE THE CULTURE GOES IN. Jaggery stirred into the hot milk until dissolved, then left until it is just warm to a clean finger -- about 45C. Hotter kills the culture; colder and it will not start.
5. THE STARTER IS THREE TABLESPOONS OF LIVE YOGURT, WHISKED SMOOTH. Whisked with a little of the warm milk first, then stirred through. Lumps of starter give uneven setting.
6. IT IS NOT MOVED FOR EIGHT HOURS. Poured into the clay pots, covered with a cloth, and left somewhere warm overnight. Moving a setting curd breaks it and it weeps.
7. THEN IT GOES COLD, AND THAT IS WHEN IT FIRMS. Four hours in the fridge after the ferment. Straight from the warm it is set but slack.
8. A PINCH OF CARDAMOM IS THE ONLY SEASONING. Its article says the yoghurt is very often delicately seasoned with a pinch of cardamom for fragrance. Delicately: a quarter teaspoon in a litre and a half.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

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