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Chocolate Epiphany
With Mumbai Chocolatier Manisha Saraf
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Poised for the India's wedding season, scrumpdelilicious delicacies for Diwali also may not need much preparation if Chocolatier, Manisha Saraf, has her way.
Saraf, a savvy housewife turned professional Pastry Chef / Chocolatier and has been creating sumptuous, original, and innovative desserts for the past decade. Her deserts not only pique your taste-buds for their rich opulent texture and flavour but also your visual senses as she elevates chocolates and their presentation to an art-form. Saraf is famous for sculpting floral bouquets, object d'art, and everyday kitsch into edible mouth-watering sweets.
A self-taught chef, Manisha slowly cultivated her hobby and interest into a small business when she decided to open her own atelier, which concentrated only on chocolate in all shapes, sizes and forms. Widely travelled she realized on a visit to Europe that India was far behind when it came to chocolate. "We are still not as advanced as the Europeans as chocolate originated in the West," she says. The process to reach this level of expertise has taken Manisha ten years on her quest to develop the perfect chocolate to melt in the mouth.
Some of the changes Manish has noticed over the years in her clients' requests have been in the packaging and their decision to order mithais or chocolates or a combination. "There definitely is a trend for people to order chocolates during the festive season as gifts. For weddings as they are auspicious the traditional sweets are still preferred," she observes.
"Many Marwari families will order fusion where chocolate is added as a decoration with the mithai. Punjabi, Gurjarati and Sindhi communities order chocolates for other occasions such as those before the wedding like the Engagement, Sangeet, Mehendi and the Reception following the wedding." She adds, "There has been a growing wave of consumers that prefer to send chocolates on birth announcements, corporate occasions and other invitations."
Her boxes are hand-made and decorations include a range of traditional motifs like ambis, potlis, tila and bandhini. "During Diwali and especially for wedding announcements chocolates are mixed with an assortment of nuts as this is considered pious, opulent and rich. Most North-Indians prefer cashews, pistachios and almonds."
What makes her a cut-above the rest?
"We import the best Belgium chocolate which is really important especially for Truffles and the Ferraro chocolates." When Manisha is not churning out delicious sweets she finds time to conduct professional classes in liquor chocolates, different cuisines, and other delicious delights. "I offer over 80 different culinary courses."
Some of her signature recipes include a Chocolate fountain with different mithais, chocolate ladoos [ click here for recipe ] and Belgium style Ferrero Rochers.
Ingredients:
- 1 chocolate sponge cake
- 1 cup cream
- 1/2 cup mixed roasted dry fruits
- 200 gms bitter cooking chocolate
- Chocolate vermicelli for garnishing
Method:
Crumble the sponge cake. Mix cream and chocolate together and microwave for 1 min on medium. Add to the crumbled sponge cake and dry fruits. Mix properly. Give round shape and roll it on chocolate vermicelli and place each ball in butter paper cups. Serve chilled!
For NRIs there's no need to worry as Manisha Saraf ships worldwide.
"Depending on the size of the order we need 4-6 weeks for delivery if it is outside of India. In India about two weeks. In Mumbai less than a week."
Her favourites?
"I love my chocolate bouquets, and the sculpted ring, baby announcement or Diwali Greetings. I also love the Mogul bride and bridegroom which is hand painted with coloured chocolate to depict a miniature painting on a plate which is usually ordered for engagements and weddings."
If you're abroad and want to make some chocolates according to Manisha the simplest recipe is, "Take a bar of chocolate and depending on the brands you may need to add full-cream about one third to chocolate. You can melt this over the stove or in the microwave. Fill into moulds. Put in freezer for fifteen minutes. The chocolates once taken out of the mould should be wrapped in colourful foil paper and then kept in a refrigerator until consumed."
And like all reputed Pastry Chefs / Chocolatiers Manisha would love to hear from you if you have any questions or want to learn more about chocolate! You can call her in Mumbai at 9820161832 or e-mail: saraf_manisha@hotmail.com.
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Rohini Bhatia-Singh
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