Unfortunately when you think of Indian desserts, chocolate very rarely comes to mind. What a shame and merely adding chocolate to Indian sweets somehow just doesn’t work for me and never does justice to either the chocolate or the Indian sweets. I tend to cringe when I hear words like “Chocolate Peda” or “Chocolate Ladoo”. But rest assured, I have finally struck a delicious balance. I have a wonderful recipe that is the best of both worlds and it’s relatively easy to boot. Dark chocolate works best in this recipe and pairs well with the spices. The spices in turn provide a subtle and delicate flavor that enhances the chocolate, it’s a tasty win-win for everybody.

We all love to play with our food & this recipe is perfect for just that – my Indian Chocolate Fondue is both delicious & fun. It’s always been a big hit when entertaining ☺. So go right ahead & play with your food!

Personally I prefer bittersweet dark chocolate for this recipe but if you have a serious sweet tooth, I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate instead.


CHOCOLATE FONDUE, Indian Style

Ingredients:

12 ounces good quality bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped (melts faster & evenly)
½-1 cup heavy whipping cream, as needed
1 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract, hazelnut extract, orange extract….)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon powder
¼ tsp ground cardamom powder
¼ tsp red chili powder, to taste
freshly ground nutmeg

For Dipping: fresh strawberries, sliced bananas, fresh coconut pieces, fresh pineapple pieces, fresh apple or pear slices, orange sections, dried apricots, cubed pound cake, marshmallows, butter cookies, biscotti, unsalted pretzels…

METHOD:

In a small heavy saucepan on medium low heat, add ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and bring to a gentle boil. Then remove the pan from the heat and slowly add in the chocolate while whisking to combine. Stir in the butter along with the sugar, vanilla extract and the spices (ground cinnamon powder, ground cardamom powder, red chili powder and freshly ground nutmeg). Mix well and transfer to a fondue pot, keep warm with a low flame. If the chocolate thickens, just add a little cream as needed. Serve with your favorite dipping ingredients.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add a little freshly grated orange zest to the melted chocolate. You could also add your favorite liqueurs such as amaretto, framboise, kahlua, grand marnier, kirsch, chambord, calvados, sambuca….

If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, just add your favorite Torani syrup such as almond, hazelnut, vanilla, dulce de leche, vanilla…

You could also add a tsp of instant espresso or any instant coffee to the melted chocolate for a lovely flavor. Instead of heavy whipping cream, feel free to use thick coconut milk instead for a rich nutty flavor.