Hot Chocolate – Recipe Marathon – Day 14

Chocolate is soul food for me, chocolate is the most delicious thing on earth. There is no equivalent to the experience of placing a perfectly shiny piece of chocolate on your tongue, letting it melt slowly in your mouth till it goes all around and then chewing it when it becomes too irresistible. I love cooking with chocolate mostly because I end up eating a lot of it neat while chopping.

That said I don’t exactly start my day with hot chocolate – its one of those things I make when I am particularly tired mentally. Every bit of making hot chocolate is invigorating – starting with the aroma of chocolate that is beginning to melt to the whisking of chocolate to a smooth shiny consistency. I like my hot chocolate dark and rich with not too much milk or flavourings.

Ingredients (for one serving of hot chocolate)

• Dark chocolate – 2 ounces (I use 2 1/2 ounces for darker hot chocolate)
• Water – 1/4 cup
• Warm Milk – 1/2 cup (adjust as per taste)
• Honey – 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract or flavouring of choice – 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Chop chocolate with a serrated knife.
2. Warm water in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. Add chopped chocolate, whisk and microwave on high for 1 minute or so. Stir once in between after the first 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the chocolate well till its smooth and shiny. Add honey and vanilla and mix well.
4. Pour into serving cup. Let it cool to lukewarm.
5. Warm slightly, pour warm milk and serve.

Other Recipe Marathoners:

• Ranji –  Vaighanache Upkari with Thambale Pudi
• Swati – Kheema Masala
• Bhags – Asparagi Riso
• Dhivya – Blueberry Vol-au-vents
• Siri –  Tali Hui Bhindi
• Divya – Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Srivalli – Seru Keerai Paruppu, Beetroot Stir Fry and Curd Rice
• Raaga – Raspberry Raisin Ring
• Arundathi – Mushroom Rolls

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Nothing to beat South Indian Filter Coffee

South Indians are famous for their aromatic perfect filter coffee. I prefer to drink coffee made in my home only! Every visitor to my home would never say no to my coffee. So I always keep the decoction ready. 🙂

Coffee estates in Coorg produce some of the best coffee seeds in the world. These are roasted, powdered and sold in various outlets throughout the world. There are mainly two varieties of coffee seeds, peabery and plantation. Chicory is also added to the powder to give a good colour. But for me the best coffee is made from a powder with 50% peaberry and 50% plantation seeds. Which ever outlet I buy the coffee powder I always get it ground in this proportion. Coffee powder stored in Tupperware containers stays fresh for 15 days. It is always good to buy once in a week.

Preparing a decoction is a technique to perfected by practice. At the end of the post I will give some important tips for brewing the perfect coffee.

For making 2 cups coffee.

Ingredients

• Coffee powder – 3 level tablespoons (or 2 tablespoons heaped)
• Hot water – 3/4 cup
• Milk – 1 and 3/4 cup
• Sugar – 2 teaspoons

Method

1. Fill the upper part of the filter with coffee powder. Slightly tap on the counter, a few times.
2. Place the upper container over the lower one.
3. Pour hot water very slowly. Close and allow the decoction to collect into the lower container.
4. Heat milk till it reaches boiling point. Pour in to two cups.
5. Add around 3 tablespoons decoction and 1 teaspoon sugar to each cup. Serve hot.  (Increase as per taste if you prefer your coffee really dark)

Tips

Never heat the coffee after mixing with decoction.

If you use decoction stored in the fridge, heat the decoction separately by placing it in boiling water.

You can also make cold coffee using this decoction.

Some filters have bigger holes. After filling the coffee powder you can slightly press it with your fingers.

Some filters have small holes which tend to get blocked. Make sure the holes are clear.

The filter should be totally dry when you add the powder.

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