Mishti Doi (Bengali Sweet Yogurt)

Often sweetened with jaggery (unrefined palm sugar), this custard-like yogurt is made by boiling milk until thick, then setting it in terracotta clay pots through a slow fermentation process. The most important ingredient is patience—it can take up to 48 hours for mishti doi to incubate into its classic creamy texture.

You can do an occasional jiggle test to check if it’s set. Even if the yogurt isn’t completely set, it can be transferred to the fridge to chill.

It might be on the runnier side, but it will still have that tangy, fermented flavor. You can find jaggery at your local South Asian grocery store or online, but coconut sugar also works. This recipe calls for a torched sugar top; if you use jaggery, it won’t evenly caramelize like crème brûlée, but the burnt sugar adds a welcome toasty note to the sweet dessert.

Ingredients

1 cup jaggery or coconut sugar, plus more to brûlée

One 12-oz. can evaporated milk

2 cups whole milk

Kosher salt

⅔ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°F, then turn off the oven and switch on the oven light.

In a medium pot, whisk together the jaggery and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 235°F, about 3 minutes.

Whisking continuously, add the evaporated milk and whole milk. Whisk in a pinch each of cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half to about 2 cups, 35–38 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool to 110°F–115°F, about 15 minutes.

To a medium bowl, add the yogurt and ½ cup of the cooled milk mixture and whisk until very smooth. Add the whisked yogurt to the remaining milk mixture and whisk until completely smooth. Pour into a 1-quart terracotta dish or divide among six 4-ounce terracotta cups or ceramic ramekins. Wrap tightly with foil and transfer to a baking sheet. Place in the oven with the light on until set but a little jiggly, similar to a baked custard, 36–48 hours. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.

To brûlée, sprinkle the top with jaggery. Using a kitchen torch, evenly brown the sugar. (It won’t crackle like a classic crème brûlée, but it adds a toasty caramelized flavor.)