Nothing warms you up like a mug of piping hot chocolate, especially now that the Christmas season is upon us. But what if we were to tell you that the recipe below adds a distinctly Malaysian twist to the beverage by incorporating cili padi?
“No way!” you might exclaim. But why not? We do like our spicy foods, after all!
Spiced hot chocolate is not something new. Dating back to 460AD, the earliest traces of hot chocolate can be found in the Mayan tombs of Guatemala, when it was made using a paste ground from cocoa seeds, cornmeal and chillies.
Besides being the perfect pick-me-up, there are health benefits to be gained from each sip of this delicious concoction. Research has shown that chilli and chocolate are good for improving blood flow to the brain.
The Mayans definitely got it right with their hot chocolate!
Ingredients
- 240ml (1 cup) milk
- 8g (1/2 cup) imported chocolate chips
- 6g (1 teaspoon) gula Melaka or palm sugar
- 1/2 cili padi, deseeded and thinly sliced
- pinch of salt
Method
- Pour the milk into a small pot and place on the stove on medium heat. Heat until you see a gentle simmer, about 1 minute.
- When the milk starts to bubble, add the chocolate chips and gula Melaka. Continuously stir so the chocolate chips do not form clumps at the bottom of the pot.
- When the milk and chocolate chips have formed a rich, thick mixture, add the cili padi.
- Add a bit of salt to up the “yum!” factor.
- And that’s it. Remove from stove, pour into mugs and enjoy!
Tips
- If you are a fan of coffee, add 1/2 teaspoon coffee powder to give it a little caffeine kick.
- For a cold beverage that heats you up at the same time, add ice and top with whipped cream.
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places. Get more recipes here.