There are two ingredients that can do no wrong - cheese and chocolate. Heartbreaks, midnight munchies, cravings and stressful Mondays, this pair can make everything better. But if they’re so great independently, imagine what they could do together. It may sound strange but the science checks out, cheese and chocolate can actually be a match made in heaven. Let’s find out why.
Firstly, both ingredients are fermented. Cacao beans need to be fermented, dried and then roasted in order to release the flavour we know as chocolate. And during fermentation, yeast and bacteria combine to produce ethanol, lactic acid and acetic acid along with microbes that help develop this taste. These are very similar to the microbes used in cheese making. Healthy bacteria, yeasts and fungi develop and transform dairy curds into cheese and the final flavour is down to the compounds produced as microbes ferment. There are so many similarities in these compounds that there’s an inherent crossover between cheese and chocolate that makes them a great match.
The trick is to play on the notes of nuttiness, creaminess and tanginess that both products have. Play around with different cheese and chocolate profiles to figure out which one works best for you. And if you’re looking for a meal that will excite, confuse (and probably scare) your friends and family, serve up a combination of cheese and chocolate and dazzle them with your scientific skills.
Image Credits: Tarla Dalal/Facebook
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Wheat Flour
- 1 tbsp Oil
- Salt
- Water
- 100 gms grated milk or dark chocolate
- 50 gms grated processed cheese Cheese
- 2 tsp Almond Powder
- Ghee for frying
Method:
- Combine the wheat flour, oil, salt and water into a soft dough.
- Knead lightly, cover with a damp cloth and set aside for at least half an hour.
- Combine the dark chocolate, almond powder and cheese in a bowl and mix well.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and set aside.
- Make small balls from the dough and roll them into discs.
- Place one of the cheese and chocolate balls in the centre, bring the edges up and flatten to create a paratha.
- Add a little ghee to a hot pan and cook the parathas on both sides until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with extra grated cheese and chocolate on top.
