Cacao Milk

Rich and comforting

The drink Mo Farah reaches for after a run. The drink Magnus Carlsen swears by during a match. Just milk, raw sugar, and pure cacao. Comfort in a cup. Recovery in every sip.

Wares

Electric frother or wooden mathani
Saucepan
Frothing vessel - jug/lota/frothing mug

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup of 180ml

Finely chopped Cacao - 20g (1/2 of the 40g cacao bar or 4 triangles)
Whole milk - 160ml (whole milk (avoid toned or highly processed milk here)
Sweetener of your choice (Optional). We use 1 tsp of khandsari sugar.

We recommend finely chopping the cacao. In warmer climates, break the cacao into smaller pieces and add to the milk and let it steep before mixing.

We recommend starting with a 1:8 cacao-to-milk ratio. So for every gram of cacao, add 9ml of milk. For one cup, start with 20g of cacao and 160ml of milk. Experiment to find the perfect ratio for you; for a lighter cup, try a ratio of 1:11 (15g of cacao for roughly 160 ml of milk). Alternatively, you can also add 80ml of milk and 80ml of water for a lighter drink.

Instructions

Heat 160ml of milk until simmering(92-94°C). Make sure the milk isn't boiling.
Meanwhile, chop 20g of cacao finely using a knife or a grater. In warmer areas, break the cacao and place it in the frothing vessel till it softens - takes a couple of minutes.
Add the milk to the frothing vessel. Add the chopped cacao into the milk with the sweetener. Let it breathe for 20-30 seconds.
Begin frothing the milk using the frother/mathani. Whisk vigorously till the cacao is completely blended into the milk and the drink is frothy.
Pour into a cup. Sip slowly and experience calm.