{"id":1533846,"date":"2020-10-16T09:57:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T14:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1533846"},"modified":"2023-07-27T13:56:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T18:56:13","slug":"what-is-mishti-dessert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/what-is-mishti-dessert\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Mishti Dessert?"},"content":{"rendered":"In South Asia, the end of a meal is almost always marked by the sudden arrival of over-satiety, making you almost regret that last serving of biryani. But even for those near incapacitation from biryani overload, no meal in South Asia is complete without mishti<\/em> (alternatively, mithai<\/em> in Hindi).\r\n

What Is Mishti Dessert?<\/h2>\r\nIt's a rather broad category of confections that originated in Bengal, a region of South Asia that encompasses the city of Kolkata and the country of Bangladesh. For centuries, Bengali culture and hospitality have been inextricably linked to the presence of these sweet treats. But their prominence spread across the region, making mishti a mainstay of South Asia's culinary heritage. Both India and Bangladesh are now filled with legacy sweetshops that have been churning out hundreds of varieties of mishti for decades.\r\n\r\nTraditionally, mishti was eaten to celebrate special occasions such as religious holidays or weddings. But today they can be the end to a lavish dinner, a midday sugar boost or even an indulgent breakfast<\/a>. From weddings to a baby's first mumble that loosely sounds like \"mama,\" there is no occasion too large or too small for this Indian dessert<\/a>.\r\n

What Is Mishi Made Of?<\/h2>\r\nThere's an endless variety of mishti, each hailing from different parts of the region, unique in their flavors, textures and ingredients. But regardless of variations, one element remains constant\u2014they are all delicious and sweet. The word \"mishti\" is Bengali and directly translates as \"sweet.\"\r\n\r\nThe most popular variety are those made by combining chenna<\/em>, a coagulated milk by-product, with sweeteners such as jaggery or sugar. Flavorings are then introduced to this base mixture to create iconic household staples such as Sandesh<\/em>, Roshogollah<\/em>, R<\/em>asmalai<\/em>, c<\/em>hom chom<\/em> and more.\r\n\r\nAnother category of mishti is made by combining besan<\/em>, or chickpea flour, with sugar and ghee<\/a>. The most popular mishti in this category is the laddoo<\/em>. \u00a0Across India and Bangladesh, laddoo is an integral part of celebrations. Every region has its own take on this age-old classic, but the most well-known variation, the M<\/em>otichoor laddoo,<\/em> hails from northern India and is said to have originated over 2,000 years ago. To make this type of laddoo, beads of besan batter are dropped into hot ghee using a special ladle and fried until golden brown. The beads are then soaked in a rich syrup scented with a whisper of cardamom and bound together to form golf-ball-sized Motichoor laddoos.\r\n\r\nBurfi<\/em> is another type of mishti widely popular across South Asia. Much like all other mishti, there are hundreds of varieties of burfi; however, the base ingredients remain the same. Most burfi are made with a base of condensed milk solids, sugar and ghee, and common addons include pistachios, cashews and peanuts. Burfi is characterized by a particular quintessential trait: its fudgy texture. During religious celebrations such as Diwali or Eid, burfi are jeweled with a thin sliver of edible gold or silver called vark<\/em>.\r\n

Making Mishti at Home<\/h2>\r\nIn South Asia, the mishti industry is an essential part of the culture. There are thousands of mishti shops with expert artisans who have perfected the intricate art of making mishti over decades. In the United States, many South Asian grocery stores will carry a limited selection of common mishti such as Rasmalai or Sandesh. In select cities with a large South Asian population, like Houston and New York, certain heritage mishti shops have opened up franchises to meet the demands in those areas. But seeing as visiting a mishti shop isn't quite feasible at the moment, here are a few simple recipe ideas for you to try making mishti at home. Here's how to make paneer<\/a> at home, too.\r\n

Chenna-Based Mishti<\/h3>\r\nTo make chenna, simply bring milk to a rolling boil. Then switch off the heat, add lemon juice and stir until the milk curdles. Once the curding has completed, strain completely. Lightly knead the chenna for five minutes, then use it to make any of the following mishti:\r\n