Dishoom Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Prepare ramekins

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Lightly butter four 6-oz ramekins and dust the insides with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, half of the granulated sugar (1/4 cup), and the cocoa powder. Whisk to dissolve lumps. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles appear at the edge; do not boil.

Melt chocolate

Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the fine sea salt and vanilla extract.

Temper eggs

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar (1/4 cup) and the cornstarch until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the warm chocolate milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

Combine and thicken

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate milk. Return to low-medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula and registers about 170–175°F (77–79°C) if using a thermometer, about 3–5 minutes. Do not boil.

Finish custard

Remove from heat and, if any lumps formed, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract if not added earlier. Allow the custard to cool for 5 minutes.

Portion and bake

Divide the warm custard evenly among the prepared ramekins. Place ramekins in a deep baking dish and pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (water bath). Carefully transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the centers are just set but still slightly wobbly.

Cool

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (or up to overnight) to fully set and develop flavor.

Make caramel

When ready to serve, make the spiced caramel. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Swirl the pan gently (do not stir) and cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber color, about 6–8 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning.

Finish caramel

Remove from heat and carefully stir in the butter until melted. Slowly add the warm heavy cream while whisking (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir in the ground cardamom and a pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust salt/cardamom. Let the caramel cool slightly so it thickens but remains pourable.

Top puddings

Spoon a thin layer (about 1 tablespoon) of the warm spiced caramel over each chilled chocolate pudding just before serving. The heat of the caramel will soften the top slightly for a glossy finish.

Garnish

Sprinkle each pudding with a few crushed pistachios and a tiny pinch of sea salt flakes for contrast. If desired, dust a little extra cocoa powder around the rim for presentation.

Serve

Serve chilled; puddings keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rewarm the spiced caramel gently if it thickens before serving.