White chocolate, saffron and pistachio pedha — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

I was on a seven-hour road trip from Kochi to Tamil Nadu. Even with the sensory overload of lush scenery, my jaw slackened, brows unfurled and eyes fluttered shut. I woke abruptly to the riotous din of ringing bells, thumping drums and the blare of a horn — a throng of worshippers following an adorned idol were obstructing the road.

India has long been the place to seek spiritual enlightenment, but if you want heaven, you’ll find it amid the velvet farmland of Regal Farms in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. I’d been invited there to meet chocolatier Pierre Marcolini at one of the farms where he sources cacao used to make the exquisite confections sold in his empire of shiny boutiques. The plantation, owned by fourth-generation farmer Harish Kumar, is an Edenic expanse of greenery set on the foothills of the Anaimalai Hills. It promotes a more equitable and sustainable way of farming than is generally the case — one that empowers farm workers, protects the environment and produces superior chocolate.

The labour and skill behind a bar is greater than I’d imagined; after harvesting, the pods are cracked, fermented for five to six days, dried and then stored for up to six weeks before they make their way to customers such as Marcolini for roasting, blending and conching. On the farm, eating cacao straight from the pod, I too had a spiritual awakening. It turned out my faith in good chocolate had been restored. Back in my kitchen, inspired by the land and its custodians, I created a recipe for a pedha, a type of traditional Indian milk fudge. While conventional pedhas don’t contain white chocolate, the addition of it turned out to be divine.

White chocolate, saffron and pistachio pedha

Makes about 24 pedhas

1. Heat the double cream in a pan. When it comes to a simmer, take off the heat then add the white chocolate and stir to melt.

2. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee then add the cream and white chocolate mix, cardamom, nutmeg and milk powder. Cook over a low to medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for eight minutes, until you have a smooth dough with a lovely sheen. Transfer to a bowl or plate to cool, then refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.

3. Put the dough in a mixing bowl and knead with the heel of your hand for a good five minutes to smooth out the mixture. It should come together easily.

4. Grease your palms with a neutral oil and pinch 20g portions from the dough. Roll into smooth patties and lay over a greased tray.

5. Use a mould (I used a mooncake mould — they are relatively inexpensive and can be found online) to stamp a pattern over the surface or simply leave as a patty.

6. Garnish with a few saffron strands. Set aside to dry for 10 minutes then serve.

Ravinder Bhogal is chef-patron of Jikoni. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots and Twitter @cookinboots

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