Yogurt Custard

This dense, intense custard is a specialty of Bengal, where it is called bhapa doi— steamed custard. Here is a quick, easy version. You may double the recipe, using a 4cup dish. The cooking time should remain the same.

Serves 2-3

1cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 to 2 bananas
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds (you can pulverize the seeds in a mortar)
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

1. Put the yogurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the condensed milk. Mix it thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a 2-cup ovenproof dish and cover it, with foil if necessary.
2. Put this dish into a larger ovenproof dish—or a baking pan—that can hold enough water to come halfway up the sides of the smaller dish and act as a baine-marie. Pour very hot water into this second dish and place both dishes in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. Remove the cover or foil.
3. Cut 1-2 bananas into 1/8 inch rounds and lay these evenly over the custard. Combine the ground cardamom and sugar and sprinkle over the top. Bake another 5-7 minutes or, better still, put it briefly under the broiler to caramelize. Lift out the smaller dish and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

(All recipes from: AT HOME WITH MADHUR JAFFREY)