Years ago, when we introduced New York-Style Cheesecake at Flurys, quite a few guests, perhaps piqued by the slight tang from the sour cream that goes into the dessert, enquired if there was any yoghurt in the recipe. It was perhaps these enquiries that inspired us that year to incorporate Mishti Doi, one of the best-known Bengali desserts, into our cheesecake for the Bengali New Year special menu. It was such a hit that we added it to our regular menu. It is still one of the most popular items on the Flurys menu.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    1h

    (Plus time to freeze)

Ingredients

For Base

  • 100 gm digestive biscuits
  • 50 gm melted butter
  • 50 gm jaggery

For Cheesecake

  • 400 gm cream cheese
  • 200 gm mishti doi
  • 50 gm jaggery (preferably palm or date)
  • 5 gm fresh orange zest
  • 100 ml fresh cream
  • 10 ml lemon juice
  • 2 whole eggs

For Blueberry Compote

  • 100 gm frozen blueberries
  • 50 gm sugar
  • 10 gm corn starch
  • 10 ml lemon juice

Preparation

For Base

  1. Crush the digestive biscuits and mix them with melted butter and melted jaggery.
  2. Line the base of a round cake tin with the crushed biscuit mix.
  3. Bake in moderate oven (170-180 degree Celsius) for about 10 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool.

For Cheesecake

  1. With a hand blender, mix the cream cheese, melted/powdered jaggery, lemon juice and mishit doi at a low speed until smooth. Do not overbeat.
  2. Add the whole eggs, orange zest and fresh cream, and mix well.
  3. Pour the batter on top of the prepared biscuit base and bake at 150 degree Celsius for about 45-50 minutes.
  4. Take out when completely set. It should be lightly browned around the edges while still a little wobbly in the centre.
  5. Cool completely and then refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.

For Blueberry Compote

  1. Cook the frozen blueberries with the sugar and lemon juice for a few minutes.
  2. Thicken the concoction with the corn starch mixed in a little water. Once the desired consistency is achieved, remove from heat and reserve.
  3. This can keep well for up to a month in the refrigerator.
  4. To Serve
  5. Cut the cheesecake into wedges and serve topped with the blueberry compote and some whipped cream, if desired.
Vikas Kumar

Vikas Kumar

Chef Vikas Kumar has cooked for the Queen of England and for Hollywood stars aboard legendary Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Mary II. He worked in the kitchens of uber-luxe properties before taking up the position of Executive Chef at the iconic Calcutta tea room Flurys in 2010. It’s a position he continues to be in. He is also a columnist for a number of national dailies.

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