Think of this dessert as an easy baked cheesecake. With creamy cheesecake like curds, colourful berries and contrasting texture courtesy of the almond crumble, this traditional Indian dessert of Baked Bengal Curds is certainly one to try. It is naturally gluten free.
Quick and Easy Dessert
If you're looking for an easy dessert recipe which is not only tasty but perfect either as a mid-week treat or to serve when entertaining guests then look no further, you've found it!
All three elements of this delicious dessert, the curds, almond crumble and macerated berries, require just 10 minutes of hands on time, which includes getting the kitchen scales out of the cupboard and weighing the ingredients, or up to 15 minutes if you're working particularly slowly!
Similar to a cheesecake
If that's not enticement enough just check out how inviting the dessert looks with those beautiful summer berries against the creamy white of the baked curds. And the piece de resistance, for some, me included, is that this dessert tastes remarkably like cheesecake!
Smooth. Creamy. Delicately flavoured. It's far quicker to rustle up than a regular baked cheesecake, being baked in ramekins it spends far less time in the oven too. And of course, as the baked cheesecake is served in individual portions it makes it even more special - or at least in my opinion.
One issue with baked cheesecakes, despite their deliciousness, is that they can easily crack potentially affecting the aesthetic appeal of your dessert. But this easy cheesecake recipe doesn't seem to have that issue (or at least the baked surface hasn't cracked on the numerous occasions that we've enjoyed Baked Bengal Curds).
Our first introduction to Baked Bengal Curds, also known as Bhapa Doi, was in an edition of the Metro newspaper. Being enticed to try it and learn more about this simple yet delicious dessert I called upon our friend Google.
A traditional Indian dessert
A quick search taught me that this is a traditional Indian dessert which is often served for religious celebrations in the Hindi calendar. The name Bhapa Doi literally means steamed yogurt, as the dessert can be steamed rather than baked.
It transpires that the dessert, which our western eyes may view as a deconstructed cheesecake, is a fabulous base for carrying other flavours and textures. Many of the recipes I've read on-line such as this one from Elephant and Coconut Trees incorporate cardamom powder in the curds and some talk of using pineapple extract, though I tend to stick with vanilla.
The dessert is then often finished with some form of fruit and nuts, making it naturally gluten free. The recipe in the Metro used a little tamarind paste to enliven some mixed berries. Other cooks have served their traditional Bengal dessert with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and even sliced kiwi fruits. Some suggest baking the dessert with a few saffron strands resting on top of the white curds to create a wonderful orange colour giving a beautiful contrast when pistachios are scattered over the top.
So, here's how to make Baked Bengal Curds with Macerated Berries!
Baked Bengal Curds with Macerated Berries
Equipment
- 4 x 100ml (4floz) ramekins
Ingredients
Baked Curds
- 150 ml (¼pt) Greek style yogurt
- 125 g (4oz) condensed milk
- 100 ml (4floz)double cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Almond Crumble
- 15 g (½oz) butter
- 50 g (2oz) ground almonds
- 25 g (1oz) caster sugar
Macerated Berries
- 75 g (3oz) mixed fresh berries cleaned (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) plus a few extra to decorate
- 1 - 2 teaspoon icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- drizzle balsamic vinegar
Instructions
To make the baked cruds
- Preheat the oven to 150℃ (140℃ fan)/300°F/gas mark 2. Fill the kettle with water, and set it to boil.
- Place 150ml (¼pt) Greek yogurt into a bowl and stir to make smooth. Add 125g (4oz) condensed milk and 100ml (4floz) double cream. Mix together until well combined. It thicken slightly.
- Spoon the mixture evenly between the ramekins. Avoid over filling them as the mixture will puff up a little during the bake.
- Place the ramekins in a roasting tin. Carefully pour the water from the kettle into the roasting tin, so that it comes half way up the side of the ramekins. Avoid getting water on the curd mixture.
- Place the roasting tin in the centre of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. The curds will puff up a little during the bake. The curds will still have a slight wobble at this stage.
- Remove the roasting tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Once the curds and ramekins have cooled, remove them from the water bath and wipe the ramekins to dry. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours (or even over night) to set completely.
Make the crumble
- Place 15g (½oz) butter, 50g (2oz) almonds and 25g (1oz) sugar into a frying pan. Set on the hob over a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and the almonds to slightly toast. Stir regularly. The mixture will clump together a little. Remove from the hob and transfer the almond mixture into a small bowl. Set aside until required.
Macerate the berries
- Up to half an hour before serving prepare 75g (3oz) mixed berries. Cut the strawberries into quarters and raspberries in half. Place the fruit into a bowl. Scatter with 1-2 teaspoon icing sugar. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar (no more than half a teaspoon). Stir together to combine. Set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together and a juice to develop.
To complete
- Serve the baked curds with the macerated berries and almond mixture.
Notes
- The quantity used was perfect was filling 3 x 100ml (4floz) sized ramekins, of course if your ramekins are a little larger you may need to consider increasing the quantity of ingredients for the curds.
- The almond crumble mixture makes sufficient to allow guests to add extra if desired.
- The curds and crumble mixture can be made the day ahead if required.
Michelle Rolfe
This looks amazing! I love cheesecake and berries but sometimes don't want to make an entire one (mostly as I will eat it until its gone!) so these are perfect! Michelle x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
These really are ideal as they taste very much like cheese cake and are so quick to make. I shall certainly be making them again.
Bea
We'll call me crazy..but I was thinking you meant actual curds like cheese curds but it's basically cheesecake right? Or will the Greek yogurt with milk etc make curds as it bakes? I want to try this so badly but not sure if I understand correctly. Thanks!!!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hi Bea sorry for being a bit slow to reply. I'm not sure ow the recipe got the name but the yogurt etc sets to a creamy consistency very much like a soft baked cheesescake with a mild creamy flavour. I think its really delicious and will be making it again very soon
.
Valeria
Hi, just a word about the 'curd'. In India, yoghurt is called curd. So yoghurt=curd=doi(Bengali)
The shop bought greek style yoghurt is rather creamy. The original home-made yoghurt is made from milk with a spoonful of added yoghurt. When kept on the kitchen counter (room temperature) overnight, the yoghurt bacteria curdles the milk, making basically yoghurt.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you for your information. That makes sense we tend to think of curds as soft cheese rather than yogurt. But if you call yogurt curds it becomes clearer thank you! I sometimes make my own yogurt but not often and now I want to make my own and again and try this recipe.
andypandy
Is this sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Hi Andypandy, you'll need sweetened condensed milk for this recipe. Do get in touch if you have any further queries. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did,
Angela
Monika Dabrowski
This is a brilliant dessert, I've never made anything like this and I am always excited to learn something new. And I just love dessert served in ramekins!
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thank you Monika, you have to try it - it's so easy to make and amazingly delicious if you enjoy cheesecake! Me to, ramekins are fab meaning everybody has their own special little dessert just for them! I'd love to hear how you get on with it if you give it a go Monika,
Angela x
Anca
Sounds perfect! I might try it, as I'm planning a few International recipes for the next month.
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
It's really scrummy Anca, well worth a try if you enjoy cheesecake. Ooh international recipes sound interesting, I'll defo keep an eye out for what you make.
Angela x
Jenny
i have never heard of Bengal Curds but i admit they make for a delicious looking dessert, and as a fan of cheesecake then they sound great too! Beautiful x commenting on behalf of #BakeoftheWeek and myself! xx
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Ooh if you're a cheesecake fan Jenny then you have to give it a whirl! They're seriosuly yummy!
Thanks for your lovely comments,
Angela x
Louise Fairweather
Oh this sounds lovely. My boys claim they don't like cheesecake but I reckon I could change their mind with this! #Bakeoftheweek
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thank you Louise. Hubby doen't care for cheesecake and sadly wasn't a fan of these baked curds for that reason (they taste so much like cheesecake), but I looooved it for that same reason, so don't be too disappointed if you give it a go and they turn their nose up at it.
Angela x
Nico @ yumsome
Someone's been nomming lots of Gu desserts! Not that I would know about such things, of course... I don't have scores of those ramekins. Honest. :-p
Cardamom is a wonderful spice for sweet desserts - try it in rice pudding or coconut, vanilla, or mango kulfi, I think you'll love it! In fact, if you're a fan of Indian desserts and rice pudding (and who in their right mind isn't?!), do try out kheer (mostly made with rice) or payasam (similar but made with vermicelli), both of which are divine!
Re. grinding up the cardamom, the trouble with ready-ground spices is that they soon lose their potency, flavour, and goodness, and since there's no way to know how long they've been sitting around in the shop (especially in smaller Asian supermarkets where they bag up the spices themselves), you may well end up with stale spices. So... you have a few choices; grind them yourself as you need them (mortar and pestle, coffee/spice grinder, spice attachment for food processor or blender, bottom of a mug, back of a tablespoon), bruise the pods so they start to split open, and add them whole, then fish them out before serving, or remove and bruise the seeds, and put them into a little muslin bag to be removed once the cooking is done.
If you really want to use pre-ground spices, do you have a Julian Graves near you? As I recall, they used to sell lots of spices... of course, I haven't lived in Blighty for years, so they may not do them any more! You might be able to get it Waitrose too. No idea about other supermarkets.
Lovely recipe, by the way, I'm almost sorry I don't eat dairy!
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Hahaha, I believe you 😉 They're such a great little container to keep hold of aren't they - we use them for a number of things Nico.
That's a good point Nico, I'd not really considered that some smaller Asian shops may have their ground spices for too long. I do bruise them sometimes if i want to put them in a pot of tea for instance, but when I want a smooth powder for a cake or a dessert like this I usually try to grind them in a make shift pestle & mortar (I clumsily dropped and broke ours a while ago!) I like the idea of using a small muslin bag. Unfortunately I've never come across a Julian Graves and we don't have a Waitrose near us either. I've checked out our local supermarkets to no avail!
Thanks for your lovely comment Nico, and the cardamom/spice hints & tips
Angela x
Sarah James
Your little pots of Baked Bengal Curds look so delicious Angela, I love the idea of the almond crumble with the macerated berries. Your photos are beautiful as always x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Awe thank you so much Sarah 🙂
Angela x
Corina
These look so pretty Angela and I'd love to try them! Cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts so I'm sure I'd love them and they definitely look good enough to serve to guests at a dinner party. Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thankyou Corina, if you like cheesecake I'd definitely recommend you trying these - they really are fabulous.
Angela x
Eb Gargano
What a lovely, easy sounding dessert. And you did make me chuckle when you mentioned you might have accidentally almost polished one off!! That sounds like the sort of thing I'd do...have you noticed how few baking posts appear on my blog? 😉 I do like the sound of adding cardamon. I am huge fan of that particular spice and have been cooking a lot with it recently, but always in savoury cooking. But I know it tastes fab in desserts and sweet treats too - need to get my thinking cap on! Eb x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
It's a million times easier than some of the GBBO inspired bakes I've been making these past few weeks Eb...infact it's probably one of the easiest ones on the blog tbh. Haha, it was amazing Eb, I only meant to take one small spoonful but before I knew it...well there wasn't much left - it weas so good! I love cardamom too, I don't use it nearly enough. the one thing I struggle with cardamom is, I only seem to be able to buy it as the pods so once the seeds are removed which is easy enough i struggle to ground them down. Though a friend has told me I can get it ready ground from Asian stores. i'll keep my eyes peeled for what you and your thinking cap come up with 😉
Angela x