Misti dahi or sweet curd is an indigenous sweetened fermented milk product popular in the eastern parts of the India, particularly, in the district of West Bengal. Because of its brown colour as a result of caramelization of sugar during heating, it is also called Lal Doi.

The misti dahi is mainly produced on a domestic scale. But the potential for its adoption on an industrial scale is very bright. At present no legal standards are available for the product. The recipe for misti dahi is as follows.

Method of manufacture

Good quality cow milk or buffalo milk selected on the basis of organoleptic properties and acidity is standardized to 3.5% fat and 9.0% SNF.

The standardized milk is filtered through a muslin cloth and then heated to a temperature of 70°C in a multipurpose vat.

The milk is homogenized in a single stage homogenizer with the pressure at 800 PSI.

The milk is then added with 12% sugar and heated to 85°C accompanied by continuous stirring. The heating is continued till it attains 1.5 times concentration. A caramelized flavour develops in the product during concentration.

Then the milk is cooled to 30°C and lactic culture is added at the rate of 1% and mixed thoroughly.

The cultured milk is filled in polystyrene cups under aseptic condition. The cups are incubated at 30°C till the curd (dahi) is properly set and desired acidity develops. This usually takes around 8 h.

The cups containing misti dahi are stored in refrigerated temperature (5°C) till use.

The misti dahi or sweet curd is ready. Are you ready to taste it?