Bhapa Doi – 3 Ingredient Instant Pot Raspberry Cheesecake

The Bengali table is filled with lush seductive desserts. Bhapa Doi or Steamed Yogurt Custard is a summer favorite. Adding fruit to it is not unheard of, in India the preferred fruit is Mango. The mango version,  tastes pretty amazing. So, I tried this today using my favorite local summer fruit – raspberries. I love raspberries so much my husband has a handful of raspberry bushes in our yard.  Thus today Bhapa Doi or the 3 Ingredient Raspberry Cheesecake is born.

This cheesecake is steamed and therefore a perfect match for the Instant Pot or the  Mealthy Multipot or any other electric pressure cooker of your choice. Once chilled, it is amazing how close to a real cheesecake it tastes like. I keep this crust less, gluten-free and very close to its Bengali roots.

My Bhapa Doi Story

Ashley at My Heart Beets, gets credit for making the concept of this yogurt cheesecake famous. However, once chilled this dense  and rich steamed yogurt does indeed taste like cheesecake. Raspberries have this rich deep jam like taste once cooked, making them one of my favorite summer fruits. I have a recipe for raspberry kulfi in Spices and Seasons, and today I give you this cheesecake or Bhapa Doi.

My recipe is not overly sweet, it is lighter on the condensed milk. The raspberries help cut the sweetness too.  This gave my doi or yogurt a somewhat softer texture. Made it just a little bit harder to un-mold. I used smaller ramekins for this, which is really how we do Bhapa Doi. If you use a spring form pan, I do not think you will have any problem with the unmolding.

Bhapa in Bengali means steamed and Doi is yogurt, hence Bhapa Doi.

Despite the slightly fuzzy un-molding, my first thought looking at my creation was a sonnet.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

I realize that this might be a little crazy, when I start saying sonnets to my food.  However try making this simple treat and you will understand what the fuss is about.

A couple of things to remember,

• You will need to use strained whole milk yogurt or store made Greek Yogurt. Make sure that you are using whole milk yogurt.
• Allow the dessert to chill thoroughly before serving. It is very easy to make but you do need to plan the chilling time.
• Raspberries are fragile, so use them quickly.
• This can be made with any other fruit, such as mango or strawberries.

Other delicate and fruity desserts include Rhubarb Raspberry Almond Cake and Steamed Sandesh.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group and Legume Love Group. Of course Instant Indian is ready for order, joining its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.