Chocol-aah!

Celebrity chef and author Sanjeev Kapoorrsquos latest cookery book Aah Chocolate is dedicated to those who love the food of the gods With recipes ranging from Chocolate Kulfi and Chocolate Cream Biscuits to Chocolate Paan Chocolate Pancakes and Chocolate Lassi the book will appeal to anyone with a craving for this indulgence Speaking about the title Kapoor says that chocolate has always been an aspirational commodity as a result of which people have been apprehensive about using it ldquoIn spite of being a favourite ingredient with almost every agegroup people think twice before getting down to actually working with this marvelous ingredient So it was necessary for me to break this taboo and make chocolate a common and easy product The book is a tribute to all things chocolate that a home cook can possibly make create and swoon for in the kitchenrdquo says Kapoor He adds that the book will teach readers to use the ingredient in various ways be it as beverages cakes cookies mousses moulded tidbits mithais or as dessert Kapoor has given the book an edge by using chocolate with Indian preparations as well ldquoAn entire section is dedicated to mithais with recipes that extensively talk about chocolatersquos Indian connect Being an Indian I can understand the liking for a sweet something the desi way Nothing gets better if the combination comes with chocolate in it So be it Chocolate Lassi a Chocolate Peda a Chocolate Burfi or the festive Chocolate Modak the book will cater to the Indian sentimentrdquo he says For trivia lovers Kapoor has devoted eight pages in the book to the theory of chocolate that answers questions on chocolatersquos origins elements that affect its quality its manufacture and the ways to store it Chocolate chikki Ingredients 1 cup chopped dark chocolate 2 cups rajgire grains 34 cup chopped jaggery 1 tablespoon ghee Method gtgt Place the rajgira in a deep kadai and roast lightly till an aroma emanates Remove from heat Grease a clean working surface with half tablespoon of ghee gtgt In the same kadai cook jaggery on mediumlow heat till a thick syrup is formed To test if the syrup is ready put a drop of it in a cup of cold water If it forms a firm ball the syrup is ready gtgt Add the rajgire and half tablespoon of ghee Mix and immediately spread on the greased surface Roll out into one inch thickness Ensure that the surface is even Let it cool slightly Cut neatly into one and half inch squares gtgt Place the dark chocolate in a microwavesafe bowl and melt in a microwave oven on HIGH for thirty seconds Take the pan off the heat and allow the chocolate to cool stirring continuously to 30ordmC gtgt Dip a piece of rajgira chikki half way into the melted chocolate Place it on a silicon sheet till chocolate sets Serve immediately Chocolate Lassi Ingredients 1 14 cups grated dark chocolate 4 cups thick yogurt chilled 8 tablespoons powdered sugar A pinch of salt 4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips Method gtgt Melt the chocolate in a double boiler You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave on lsquohighrsquo for thirty seconds Whisk well and set aside to cool down to room temperature gtgt Mix together the yogurt sugar and salt in a bowl Whisk until the sugar and salt are well incorporated gtgt Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix well gtgt Pour into individual glasses and serve chilled decorated with the chocolate chips Aah Chocolate Sanjeev Kapoor Popular Prakashan Rs 595 Chocolate kalakand Ingredients 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 litres 10 cups milk 18 teaspoon crushed alum 34 cup sugar 2 tablespoons of ghee for greasing 2 tablespoons liquid glucoseu00a0Silver varq as required Method gtgt Grease a seveninch by fiveinch rectangular aluminum tray with ghee gtgt Boil the milk in a large nonstick pan on high heat Add the alum and sugar and continue to cook stirring continuously for about an hour or till the milk becomes grainy and thick gtgt Add the ghee and glucose Mix well and continue to cook till the mixture begins to coat the back of a ladle Add the cocoa powder and mix well gtgt Transfer the mixture into the greased tray and set aside to cool to room temperature and set gtgt Cut into squares decorate with silver varq and serve Chocolate and nut Karanji Ingredients 1 15 cups refined flour maida 3 tablespoons pure ghee Oil for deepfrying For the stuffing 12 cup grated dark chocolate 14 cup chopped almonds 14 cup chopped walnuts 12 cup grated mawakhoya 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Method gtgt Put the flour in a deep bowl Add the ghee and add two to three tablespoons of chilled water or chilled milk Knead into a mediumsoft dough adding more chilled water or milk as you go along Divide into small balls and let them rest covered with a damp cloth gtgt To make the stuffing mix the mawa powdered sugar walnuts almonds and grated chocolate in a bowl Chill it in the refrigerator for about ten minutes gtgt Roll out the dough balls into small round puri Place a puri on the worktop moisten its edges gtgt Place some stuffing in the centre and fold one side of the puri over the other Press the edges to seal and further twist the edges with your finger tips in a decorative manner Or cut the edges with a serrated cutter You can also make the karanji using a mould gtgt Keep the karanji in the refrigerator for thirty to forty minutes gtgt Heat sufficient oil in a kadai Deepfry the karanji a few at a time till light brown Drain extra oil on absorbent paper gtgt Serve hot or allow them to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container Note Since mawa has been used the shelf life of these karanji is short and therefore they should be consumed fastu00a0