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Surti cold cocoa
Thick chilled cocoa milk
સુરતી કોલ્ડ કોકો: thick chilled cocoa milk whisked frothy, Surat's late-night street drink (plus 4 hours chilling)
Long after dinner, the lanes around Surat's Chowk Bazaar and Athwa Lines fill with families queueing for cold cocoa, a thick, almost milkshake-like chocolate milk poured from big steel cans into tall glasses. The secret is cooking cocoa and a spoon of cornflour into rich milk first, then chilling it for hours so it thickens and the cocoa flavour deepens, before whisking it frothy to order. The common mistake is stirring cocoa powder straight into cold milk, which leaves bitter, dusty lumps floating on top. Chef's tip: make it the night before and whisk with a hand blender for 30 seconds just before pouring for the classic foamy head.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cocoa
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ½ cup cold milkfrom the litre above is fine
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To serve
- 8 ice cubes (optional)
- 4 tbsp fresh cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp cornflour and 3 ½ oz sugar with ½ cup cold milk in a bowl to a smooth, lump-free paste.
3 minStep 2: Bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a heavy pan, then lower the heat and whisk in the cocoa paste.
5 minStep 3: Simmer on low for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract.
10 minStep 4: Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight; it will thicken further.
240 minStep 5: Whisk hard or blend for 30 seconds until frothy. Pour into tall glasses over 8 ice cubes and top with 4 tbsp fresh cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does surti cold cocoa take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of unsweetened cocoa powder?
- Drinking chocolate, same amount (sweeter, so cut the sugar).
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Perfect for:Summer coolers