Bhapa Doi With Spiced Orange Syrup

Bengali Bhapa Doi is served with a fusion twist – an incredible spiced orange syrup. This Indian dessert is also known as Indian style cheesecake and is prepared by steaming or “baking” Greek yogurt, condensed milk and whole milk.

Delicately creamy with a subtle tang from the yoghurt, it has a texture not unlike a baked New York cheesecake – smooth, light, and indulgent. Except it’s totally egg-free.

My version stays true to the classic Bengali flavours, but with a twist. I’ve added a touch of orange zest to brighten the flavour, and rich, spiced orange syrup topping. It’s made by reducing orange juice with cinnamon, clove, and star anise — the perfect finishing touch.

You can serve Bhapa Doi either warm or chilled – both ways are equally delicious.

The ingredients couldn’t be simpler:

1. Greek yoghurt – or strained plain yogurt
2. Condensed milk – adds sweetness while saving the time and effort of reducing milk and sugar from scratch.
3. Milk powder – replaces fresh milk. It helps thicken the yoghurt and prevents it from splitting during baking.

I absolutely love yoghurt-based desserts in the warmer months. I could happily eat bowlfuls of Greek yogurt shrikhand or devour Indian fusion cream horns !

How to make Bhapa Doi in oven

This is a quick and easy bhapa doi recipe, sometimes called instant bhapa doi because you do not have to stand by the stove for ages!

Here is the step by step method:

• In a big mixing bowl add the yogurt and condensed milk, mix well until it’s nice and smooth.

• Then add in the milk powder, whisk using a balloon whisk. It should be fairly smooth after whisking.

• Pour yogurt mixture into the cast iron skillet, until 3/4 of the way. Tip: If using ramekins, make sure they’re roughly the same size so they cook evenly. I like using shallow ramekins or skillets so the Bhapa Doi sets quicker and gets a gently golden top.
• Add orange zest (you can add directly into the mixture too before pouring it into the skillet)
• Place the filled ramekins or skillet in a big roasting tray and fill the tray with hot water to about 3/4 of the way up the sides. Tip: The water bath helps the dessert bake evenly and prevents cracking or curdling. Be careful not to get water into the ramekins.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until yoghurt starts getting little golden on the sides. Mine took about 55 minutes on this occasion so it’s important to keep an eye. Once it is baked, the mixture should be wobbly, neither firm or liquid/runny. If it is still runny, it needs longer cooking time. Times will vary based on the size of your container.
• Turn off the oven and let the yoghurt set overnight in the oven or remove and allow it to cool at room temperature. Overnight is better to develop flavour and texture.
• Once cooled, cover the skillet with tight foil and leave it to refrigerate for a minimum for 4-5 hours.

Spiced Orange Syrup – while the bhapa doi chills

• Place orange juice and spices into a saucepan. I like to use good quality fresh orange juice for better flavour. I find long life orange juice cartons taste bitter. Add some sugar if your juice isn’t that sweet.
• Bring it to boil and let it simmer until the syrup gets thicker, it will take about 8-10 minutes. If you do not want your orange syrup to be strong, remove the whole spices from the syrup as it is simmering rather than leaving them in. You can also omit the whole spices entirely if you prefer.
• Set aside to cool completely.

• Just before serving arrange orange slices on top of the set yogurt, spoon spiced orange syrup on top and garnish with slivered almonds and pistachio nuts and edible flowers.

Other Yogurt Recipes

• Yogurt Sandwich
• Traditional Gujarati Kadhi
• Dahi Aloo
• Caramel Lassi

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Bhapa Doi (Baked Yogurt) with Spiced Orange Syrup

Equipment

• Bowl
• Cast iron skillet/cake tin/ramekins I have used 6.5 inch skillet and two small ramekins
• oven
• Baking tray

Ingredients

• 1 cup Greek yogurt full fat or hung yogurt
• 200 gram condensed milk
• 3 tbsp. milk powder full fat
• 1 tsp. orange zest optional

Syrup

• 50 ml orange juice fresh
• 25 g sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole spices total with cinnamon, star anise, green cardamom, cloves
• 2 oranges sliced

Garnish

• 2 tablespoon pistachio nuts slivered
• 1 tablespoon almonds slivered
• 1 tablespoon rose edible rose petals

Instructions

Bhapa Doi (Baked Yogurt)

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180C or 350F.
• Combine all the baked yoghurt ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Pour into individual oven-proof ramekins or cast iron skillet which is oven proof.
• Place the filled ramekins or skillet in a big baking/roasting tray and fill the tray with hot water to about 3/4 of the way up the sides.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until yoghurt starts getting little golden on the sides.
• Turn off the heat and let the yoghurt sit in the oven for one hour.
• Remove it from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
• Cover it with tight foil and leave it in the refrigerate to chill for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.

Orange Spiced Syrup

• Add fresh orange juice, sugar and spices into a saucepan.
• Bring it to a boil and let it simmer until the syrup thickens a little. It may take 10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, peel away the skin from the orange then slice into squares or rounds. Set aside for later.
• Arrange orange slices on top of the set yogurt, spoon spiced orange syrup on top if it and garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and edible flowers.

Video

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in December 2015.

Bhapa Doi (Baked Yogurt) with Spiced Orange Syrup

Equipment

• Bowl
• Cast iron skillet/cake tin/ramekins I have used 6.5 inch skillet and two small ramekins
• oven
• Baking tray

Ingredients

• 1 cup Greek yogurt full fat or hung yogurt
• 200 gram condensed milk
• 3 tbsp. milk powder full fat
• 1 tsp. orange zest optional

Syrup

• 50 ml orange juice fresh
• 25 g sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole spices total with cinnamon, star anise, green cardamom, cloves
• 2 oranges sliced

Garnish

• 2 tablespoon pistachio nuts slivered
• 1 tablespoon almonds slivered
• 1 tablespoon rose edible rose petals

Instructions

Bhapa Doi (Baked Yogurt)

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180C or 350F.
• Combine all the baked yoghurt ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Pour into individual oven-proof ramekins or cast iron skillet which is oven proof.
• Place the filled ramekins or skillet in a big baking/roasting tray and fill the tray with hot water to about 3/4 of the way up the sides.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until yoghurt starts getting little golden on the sides.
• Turn off the heat and let the yoghurt sit in the oven for one hour.
• Remove it from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
• Cover it with tight foil and leave it in the refrigerate to chill for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.

Orange Spiced Syrup

• Add fresh orange juice, sugar and spices into a saucepan.
• Bring it to a boil and let it simmer until the syrup thickens a little. It may take 10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, peel away the skin from the orange then slice into squares or rounds. Set aside for later.
• Arrange orange slices on top of the set yogurt, spoon spiced orange syrup on top if it and garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and edible flowers.

Video

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

This easy Spinach Chana Dal or Dal Palak is an incredibly tasty Indian lentil curry recipe. Fresh spinach and an assortment of fragrant Indian spices are blended with creamy chana dal.

Spinach Dal is a must try if you are looking for a flavourful Indian recipe that is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

• Ingredients
• What to serve with Dal Palak
• Can I freeze Spinach Chana Dal?
• How to make Spinach Chana Dal Tips for the best dal
• Other Dal/Lentil based recipes

You cannot go wrong with a comforting bowl of dal and rice for dinner. Quite possibly the staple dish of India, dal is eaten by everyone. It is a versatile dish that is cheap to make and yet filling.

Dal can come in so many different forms, from a traditional Gujarati Dal , to a royal creamy and smooth Sultani Dal to an innovative Garlicky Dal with Carrot Greens to Whole Masoor Dal .

This Dal Palak (spinach) recipe is a delicious Indian curry or stew made from yellow chana dal and fresh spinach. There are various ways of making dal palak and often households will use toor dal (or arhar daal/tuvar or split pigeon peas) and tomatoes. This particular recipe is made without tomatoes.

What I love about this dal is that the spinach is finely chopped/crushed meaning the spinach incorporates into the dal rather than having whole spinach leaves floating around.

The dal is quite thick and has a creamy texture. Why not add an extra flourish with a second tadka/tempering to enhance the flavours further.

Ingredients

Let’s discuss a few of the important ingredients in this recipe. For exact measurements, please see recipe card below

Chana Dal

Chana Dal or Bengal Gram is made from split black chickpeas which have been skinned. It is always useful to keep chana dal around because it doesn’t require soaking as many other lentils do prior to cooking. Of course if you have the time, you can always soak one hour beforehand!

For a quick recipe try Instant Pot Gujarati Chana Dal which uses basic ingredients but has that authentic sweet adn sour Gujarati food zing.

Spinach we have used fresh baby spinach but you can use normal spinach too. Use frozen if you cannot find fresh. We used a food processor to coarsely crush the blanched spinach.

Have leftover spinach? Try making Spinach Rotli with your next curry or add in this Paneer Palak Kofta Curry.

Onion , Green chillies, Ginger & Garlic the golden quartet in Indian cooking. These ingredients give a delicious depth to the dal and are an important ingredient in a lot of North Indian cooking

Indian spices warm masalas like red chilli powder, ground cumin and coriander and garam masala are needed for this dal. We have also used kasoori methi which always gives a restaurant-style flavour to this dal.

What to serve with Dal Palak

This dal is made with onion so it is not mild in flavour but punchy and robust. I would probably not eat this with another spicy curry as the flavours can become overwhelming.

Personally, I would enjoy the incredible flavours of this dal alone or with a very mild curry that is not made with onion and garlic.

Whilst the dal is cooking away, you can quickly make this Easy Potato Chips Curry or Bombay Potatoes as this curry uses only basic spices and is so quick to make.

I also love my dal with round and soft Gujarati rotlis

For a fresh zingy salad, try an Indian style salad such as kachumber – finely chopped salad with a lemon juice dressing.

Can I freeze Spinach Chana Dal?

Spinach Dal freezes really well. Once the dal is cooled, place in a freezer-safe container. Once defrosted, simply reheat again on the stove. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it.

I like to add another vaghar or a pinch of garam masala as it revives the flavours and the dal seems as if it has been freshly made.

Make some Dal Paratha if small amount leftovers.

How to make Spinach Chana Dal

Tips for the best dal

The trick to getting the tastiest and creamiest dal is to ensure the lentils are cooked until they are very tender and breaking apart.

In this recipe, we have cooked the chana dal separately until it is mushy and soft which dal is then added to a vaghar or tadka of cumin seeds.

Cook the chana dal in the instant pot or in a pan.

Also, we have blanched fresh spinach and ground into a coarse paste before adding it to the dal. See recipe card below to see how to blanch spinach.

For the best tasting dal, use fresh ingredients where possible.

Method

• In a thick bottomed pan heat oil.
• Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.

• Add roughly chopped onion, saute on low heat until it turns light pink.
• Then added crushed ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for a few seconds.

• Now add all the spice masalas and kasoori methi.
• Mix well, add boiled chana dal.

• Mix, let the dal cook for 5 minutes.
• Add coarsely ground spinach, mix well.

• Mix well, simmer the dal for 5 minutes more. If very thick add little water. Turn off the heat, add lemon/lime juice. Garnish it with fresh chopped cilantro/coriander before serving.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!

• Instagram

• Facebook

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• YouTube

• Instagram

• Facebook

• Pinterest

• YouTube

Other Dal/Lentil based recipes

• Dal Methi Paratha
• MOONG DAL HALWA
• Dhaba Style Dal Fry
• Gujarat na Dal Vada
• Instant Pot Trevti Dal
• Superfood Broccoli and Bengal Gram Stir Fry
• Bengali Style Chana and Coconut Dal

Spinach Chana Dal – Easy & Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils Bengal Gram Daal- chana Daal-Boiled
• 3 cup spinach or palak (Indian spinach)
• 1 tsp green chillies crushed
• 1 tsp ginger crushed or puree
• 1 tsp garlic crushed or puree
• ½ tsp dry fenugreek leaves kasoori methi
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch asafoetida hing
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp chilli powder red
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp oil any
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• salt
• 2 lime lemon wedges
• 2 tbsp cilantro freshly chopped

Instructions

How to blanch spinach

• In a microwave cook spinach with very little water for 4 minutes.
• Grind in a grinder until you see coarse paste. Leave it aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan heat the oil, add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
• When it splutters add onion, fry for few minutes or until it turns light pink.
• Add crushed green chillies, ginger and garlic and cook for few seconds..
• Then add all the masala powder and kasoori methi and cook few seconds.
• Tip in boiled chana dal , mix very well, add little water if dal is too dry) and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Now add ground spinach and cook on a low heat 4-5 minutes.
• Add salt, lime/lemon juice and mix well.
• Add chopped cilantro before serving.

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in May 2010.