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Chocolate in Indian cooking

Monica Bhide
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mongo_jones

mongo_jones

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not that i make it at home but some calcutta sweet-shops also sell chocolate shondesh. i have never had the desire to try this, however.

one of my favorite treats growing up was eating hot parathas wrapped around chunks of slowly melting gur (jaggery)--it strikes me now that bitter chocolate might be a good substitute.

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Episure

Episure

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I know you all will laugh but I sometimes add chocolate or coffee to my kormas, curries and biryanis. It works best in spicy meat preparations, the trick is to add only so much that it keeps everybody guessing what that exotic taste is. The first time I did this was years ago, when I was camping out at a disused granite quarry with a gang of car rallying friends, I was making a Biryani and sipping(?) some country liquor at the same time. Now I find out that the Mexicans do this with chocolate all the time. Caramba!

Don't knock it till you have tried it, just makes sure your guests are not in the know else they will have pre-conceived notions. Also dont judge it for yourself, let it be evident from the others. Now all egulleteers who read this post can't try it on each other.

If anybody dares try it, post your feedback here, be brave!

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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BBhasin

BBhasin

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Posted (edited)
I know you all will laugh but I sometimes add chocolate or coffee to my kormas, curries and biryanis. It works best in spicy meat preparations, the trick is to add only so much that it keeps everybody guessing what that exotic taste is. The first time I did this was years ago, when I was camping out at a disused granite quarry with a gang of car rallying friends, I was making a Biryani and sipping(?) some country liquor at the same time. Now I find out that the Mexicans do this with chocolate all the time. Caramba!

Don't knock it till you have tried it, just makes sure your guests are not in the know else they will have pre-conceived notions. Also dont judge it for yourself, let it be evident from the others. Now all egulleteers who read this post can't try it on each other.

If anybody dares try it, post your feedback here, be brave!

numerous prize winning Chilli recipes here in the US have chocolate as secret ( not any more) ingredient.

I dont recall all the details but this celebrated chef would pulverize a mint and sprinkle it atop his signature dish just as it left the kitchen. It melted/dissolved by the time the dish reached the patron and created a sensational opening taste.

So keep sipping that country liquor Episure, it gives you good ideas.

And coffee Episure was the secret ingredient in my neighbor's Barbeque sauce.

Take nother sip of that inspiring country liquor now.

Country liquor is no laughing matter!!

Edited by BBhasin (log)

Bombay Curry Company

3110 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. 703. 836-6363

Delhi Club

Arlington, Virginia

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BBhasin

BBhasin

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Do you cook with chocolate? How do you use it to prepare Indian inspired dishes

do share

inquiring minds want to know

We discussed ' Chocolate Samosas ' on this board sometime ago. I am not sure if the restaurant was in the UK or New York.

I am still awaiting some kind soul to slip me the recipe.

Bombay Curry Company

3110 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. 703. 836-6363

Delhi Club

Arlington, Virginia

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Episure

Episure

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Posted
I know you all will laugh but I sometimes add chocolate or coffee to my kormas, curries and biryanis. It works best in spicy meat preparations, the trick is to add only so much that it keeps everybody guessing what that exotic taste is. The first time I did this was years ago, when I was camping out at a disused granite quarry with a gang of car rallying friends, I was making a Biryani and sipping(?) some country liquor at the same time. Now I find out that the Mexicans do this with chocolate all the time. Caramba!

Don't knock it till you have tried it, just makes sure your guests are not in the know else they will have pre-conceived notions. Also dont judge it for yourself, let it be evident from the others. Now all egulleteers who read this post can't try it on each other.

If anybody dares try it, post your feedback here, be brave!

numerous prize winning Chilli recipes here in the US have chocolate as secret ( not any more) ingredient.

I dont recall all the details but this celebrated chef would pulverize a mint and sprinkle it atop his signature dish just as it left the kitchen. It melted/dissolved by the time the dish reached the patron and created a sensational opening taste.

So keep sipping that country liquor Episure, it gives you good ideas.

And coffee Episure was the secret ingredient in my neighbor's Barbeque sauce.

Take nother sip of that inspiring country liquor now.

Country liquor is no laughing matter!!

I beat them all, I did it first about 15 years ago. Country liquor ( like spice in Frank Herbert's novel -Dune) can give you a lot of prescience.

When is your new restaurant opening at Arlington? Do send me all your press releases.

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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Peppertrail

Peppertrail

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Posted
I know you all will laugh but I sometimes add chocolate or coffee to my kormas, curries and biryanis. It works best in spicy meat preparations, the trick is to add only so much that it keeps everybody guessing what that exotic taste is. The first time I did this was years ago, when I was camping out at a disused granite quarry with a gang of car rallying friends, I was making a Biryani and sipping(?) some country liquor at the same time. Now I find out that the Mexicans do this with chocolate all the time. Caramba!

I have seen people line up for Chocolate burfis at Grand sweets in Madras. Personally I prefre their traditional sweets.

Yes, the taste of Mexican mole sauce with a touch of chocolate. I make my own mole sauce and then order baby back ribs, spicy German sausage and smoked briskett from Texas. I mix mole sauce with the BBQ sauce that comes with the package of smoked meats. Five minutes before taking the meats out of the oven, brush them lightly with the sauce. And also serve extra sauce on the side. My family and guests seem to enjoy it. Being a picky vegetarian, I have not tasted them. But I do love mole sauce with new potato enchilada (Mexican masala doa?).

Ammini Ramachandran

www.Peppertrail.com

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Peppertrail

Peppertrail

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We discussed ' Chocolate Samosas ' on this board sometime ago. I am not sure if the restaurant was in the UK or New York.

I am still awaiting some kind soul to slip me the recipe.

I don't know if this can be called a samosa recipe. I make them with store bought phyllo pastry sheets.

A few layers of phyllo pastry sheets cut into squares, brushed with ghee, filled with a blend of sugar, crushed walnuts, almonds and bits of chocolate, fold and seal in the shape of samosas and bake till they are golden brown. Sprinkled with coco or powdered sugar when they are hot. Tastes great when they are warm.

Ammini Ramachandran

www.Peppertrail.com

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Peppertrail

Peppertrail

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Ammini,

I had made a chocolate baklava like this some time back and I dont remember if it turned out nice, you have reminded me to make it again.

I stick with walnuts for baklava. I remember trying pineapple baklava once. The recipe sounded good, but the baklava was not crispy when it came out of the oven. May be a combination of chocolate and nuts might work?

Ammini Ramachandran

www.Peppertrail.com

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Monica Bhide

Monica Bhide

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We discussed ' Chocolate Samosas ' on this board sometime ago. I am not sure if the restaurant was in the UK or New York.

I am still awaiting some kind soul to slip me the recipe.

I don't know if this can be called a samosa recipe. I make them with store bought phyllo pastry sheets.

A few layers of phyllo pastry sheets cut into squares, brushed with ghee, filled with a blend of sugar, crushed walnuts, almonds and bits of chocolate, fold and seal in the shape of samosas and bake till they are golden brown. Sprinkled with coco or powdered sugar when they are hot. Tastes great when they are warm.

I think I will try to make this tomorrow

We have made the burfees (Indian milk sweets) with chocolate.. but I have never been a fan of that mix.

I did add a few pieces of it to the Rogan Josh (lamb) I made a few months ago to see if it altered the taste.. to be honest I could not tell

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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Guest nimki

Guest nimki

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a fresh coconut, banana, honey, chocolate pancake........ in a small shack restaurant in mahabalipuram. it was so so good. i can still taste it.

not very indian is it?

saw my niece eating chocolate sandwiches the other day. again not a very indian concept.

come to think of it, except for those awful chocolate barfis, I haven't actually seen chocolate being used in indian cooking. and for that matter, my impression is that cooking chocolate isn't so easily available here, and fairly expensive to boot?

what CAN you do with chocolate in Indian (vegetarian) cooking? me - i do dream of fresh fruit and thick dark chocolate but that's as far as it goes!

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