If chocolate-covered everything is your idea of heaven, these recipes will make you very happy

Chocolate leaves behind love notes in the form of stains on your brand new whites. It also acts as a premature confession of love when smuggled between sheets of Hindi homework from one 10-year-old to another.

It’s dark, sometimes milky, often accompanied by a hint of spice or a sprinkling of sea salt, but is almost always welcomed with open arms and drooling mouths.

And that’s exactly why, just like all things and people important (think mom, dad, your partner, and even your little pet), chocolate deserves a day of its own – World Chocolate Day.

“Chocolate in any form is joy,” says pastry chef Neysa Mendes of Good Slice. This magic ingredient is as loved by those who devour it as it is by those who tinker with it in kitchens to create what can only be described as magic.

“It’s the main component of chocolate – cocoa – that makes it so versatile. I could use cocoa without any sweetener, and it would still taste like a celebration,” adds Mendes.

Trust us to take chocolate’s versatility as a personal challenge and use it in ways that bend the mind (and the rules) and challenge your senses.

P.S. If you want to know how to put together Mendes’ mouthwatering tahini chocolate ice cream, keep scrolling.

6 bizarre chocolate recipes that will blow your mind

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Photo credit: Mom & Co.

Chocolate dhokla

Gujarati delicacies are already famous for catering to those with a sweet tooth even halfway through main course. Try this decadent farsan that will keep you coming back for more.

Ingredients:

For dhokla batter:

• 1 cup rawa (suji)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 5 tbsp melted chocolate (dark or regular chocolate)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Eno fruit salt

For chocolate syrup:

• 4 tbsp chocolate, melted
• 2 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp sugar syrup

Directions:

1. Add rawa, lemon juice, baking powder, sugar and oil in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
2. Add three-fourths of a cup of water and mix well till it turns into a soft batter.
3. Keep it aside for a while.
4. Prepare the boiler with some hot water.
5. Grease a baking tray with some oil.
6. Add fruit salt to the batter. Mix it thoroughly.
7. Put half of this mix in a small baking tray. Then put a layer of chocolate syrup. Then add the remaining half of the batter on top of the chocolate syrup layer and keep it in the boiler.
8. Cover it with a lid and let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes on high flame.
9. To check if it is ready, use a knife to see if the dhokla is cooked from inside.
10. If it is dry when you pull the knife out, it is ready. Otherwise let it boil for some more time.
11. After it’s cooked, let it cool for 10 minutes.
12. Cut it into the desired shape and plate it. Pour some hot chocolate syrup on it and serve.

Recipe: Mom & Co.

2/6

Photo credit: Foodnetwork.com

Spicy chocolate chicken

Spices, chocolate, and chicken — words you’d never imagine stitched together, unless bulleted on a grocery list.

As it turns out, somebody let their creative juices loose and how.

What this creative culinary rampage resulted in was the marriage of your favourite cheat food, and most loved protein.

So, if staying in has stripped you off of all your sources of inspiration, here is something to build off.

Maybe it will even help up your adventure sports quota.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 115 g bacon, diced
• 1 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed and halved
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp allspice mixture
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 43 g baking chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions:

1. Heat a braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and bacon, and cook until the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, and sprinkle salt all over. Add the chicken, skin-side down, to the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, for about eight to 10 minutes. Flip and brown on the reverse side for an additional five minutes.
3. Remove the chicken on the plate with the bacon.
4. Add onions, carrots, garlic and chillis to the pan, and cook for an additional three minutes, while stirring often.
5. Add the allspice and smoked paprika, and cook for another two minutes.
6. Add the tomato paste and cook, while stirring constantly. Cook until fragrant and deepened in colour. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and simmer for five minutes to reduce slightly.
7. Add the chicken broth and then whisk in the chopped chocolate.
8. Nestle in the browned chicken pieces, skin-side down, and sprinkle with the bacon. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway through.
9. Remove the chicken to a platter to rest. Meanwhile, whisk the butter and agave nectar into the sauce.
10. Stir in the peas, then spoon the stew over the chicken pieces.

Recipe: Foodnetwork.com

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Photo credit: Veggiefoodrecipes.com

Chocolate samosa

Yes, it will be very difficult to replace the beautiful, clumpy potato filling, but molten chocolate oozing out of a crispy shell instead is something we’re willing to settle for.

This chocolaty snack is ideal to take your moonsoon chai pe charcha to a high tea-esque do in no time at all.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup refined flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Take flour into the bowl, and add one teaspoon of sugar to it.
2. Then add ghee and mix it well until you achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency.
3. Add one tablespoon of water at a time and knead the mixture into a dough. Cover the dough with a wet towel and keep aside for 15 minutes.
4. For stuffing, take dark chocolate and cut into small pieces. Then add one teaspoon of sugar, almonds and pistachios to it.
5. After letting the dough rest, knead it again, and divide the dough into five to six uniform balls.
6. Take one ball of dough, and roll it into a roti using a rolling-pin.
7. Cut it into half using a knife.
8. With a brush or finger, apply water on the straight edge of the semi-circle.
9. Fold it to form a cone-like shape.
10. Fill the cone with the chocolate and nuts stuffing.
11. Brush some water on the edges and pinch them shut.
12. Do the same with the rest of the dough.
13. Now heat the oil in frying pan, and fry the samosas on medium heat.

Recipe: Veggiefoodrecipes.com

4/6

Photo credit: Alisha Mishra/Pexels

Chocolate tahini ice cream

Imagining tahini on a dessert menu is absurd, but pairing it with chocolate sounds like a whole different kind of weird.

But with this super easy recipe, Mendes managed to introduce us to a genius combination of flavours and somehow, made our favourite cheat treat healthy.

Yes, this is in fact all your adult dreams being realised. Are you ready to dive into your first bowl of healthy ice cream?

Ingredients:

• 200 g overripe bananas, frozen
• 2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp tahini
• A pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Peel the bananas and freeze them. Taste them before freezing them, just to make sure they’re sweet.
2. Add the frozen bananas into your mixer, add cocoa powder, tahini, and salt to it.
3. Pulse the mixer for approximately 10 seconds. Open the jar to bring the bananas to the centre. And repeat this till the mixture just about starts coming together, but is is still icy.
4. Transfer into a bowl and place it in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Recipe: Good Slice

5/6

Photo credit: Keyfood.co/Instagram

Chocolate pizza

Pizza loyalists who can eat this fast-food favourite for all meals, it’s time to celebrate. Now you can enjoy this indulgent slice of heaven for dessert too.

Bread, hazelnut and chocolate spread, and more chocolate – what’s not to like?

This is also tangible proof of the age-old saying – “You can never go wrong with pizza.”

(Unless of course, you’re a monster who decides to throw pineapple onto a pizza. Then you’re going horribly wrong. Please get it together, Sheetal.)

Ingredients:

• Pre-made pizza dough
• 2 tbsps butter, melted
• 1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp high-quality white chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450º F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it to form an 11-inch round base.
4. Transfer dough to the prepared sheet. Make indentations all over dough with fingertips.
5. Brush melted butter over it and bake until pale golden, for about 20 minutes.
6. Smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread over hot crust. Sprinkle chopped bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate over it.
7. Bake again until chocolate begins to melt, for about 2 minutes.
8. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over, cut into wedges, and serve.

Recipe: Epicurious.com

6/6

Photo credit: Food52.com

Chocolate mayonnaise cake

Before your gag reflex checks in, we would like to tell you that this will probably be the most moist cake you will ever eat.

The mayonnaise adds to the richness of an already delicious and gooey chocolate cake, and apparently makes it taste better than ever.

Yep, that, unlike your pet unicorn from when you were seven suddenly appearing out of nowhere, is in fact possible.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional, for enhanced chocolate flavour)
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/3 cups water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two round cake pans.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder (if using).
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla on high speed until very light and fluffy (for at least three minutes).
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the mayonnaise, beating until well-combined.
5. Add the flour mixture and the water to the batter in three additions, alternating between the wet and dry. Mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
8. Fill and frost with desired filling.

Recipe: Food52.com