Chocolate Panna Cotta was answer to our sweet cravings today. The luscious, mildly sweetened with brown sugar, and richly flavoured with Dutch processed cocoa powder; it was the perfect way to sweeten our Monday!

It is light on the tummy since it is made with milk (unlike the traditional recipes made with heavy cream) and agar agar helped set it perfectly, the dessert comes together in no time. Since I don’t like my chocolate bitter, the not-so-bitter ‘Reddish Brown’/ mild dark variant of cocoa powder from @indian__natives was just perfect for the sweet-toothed me! It blended seamlessly in the panna cotta elevating it’s flavour quotient.

Blancmange vs Panna Cotta

It has almost become habitual to read and further probe into any and all dishes I try in my kitchen. So is the case here too. While I was looking for more information about how the traditional panna cotta is made and what are the other variations of this classic Italian dessert and the modern day adaptations there are. I came across an article in The Guardian that mentions about the British dessert – Blancmange, which is made with cow’s milk thickened with cornflour while the Panna Cotta is made with heavy cream set with gelatine.

Further probing into – “What are the substitutes for heavy cream?”… whole milk thickened with cornstarch looked like the most convenient and promising option. This is the technique I have explored here while using agar agar sheet in lieu of gelatine and whole milk thickened with a minimal amount of cornstarch in lieu of heavy cream. This keeps the texture of this panna cotta smooth and supple.

Chocolate Panna Cotta Recipe

Serves 6
1 Cup = 240 ml

Ingredients:

• Milk – 2 cup
• Dutch processed raw & unsweetened cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
• Sugar – 1/2 cup
• Corn starch – 1 tsp mixed in 2 tbsp milk
• Agar agar – 10 gm
• Salt – a pinch

Instructions:

1) Add 1 cup water to a saucepan. Cut the agar-agar sheet into thin strips or roughly tear and add to this water. Let it soak well for 15 minutes.

2) Heat the saucepan on med-low flame and begin stirring the soaked agar-agar.

3) Stir continuously until it melts completely. Reduce the flame to lowest possible heat setting to keep the agar-agar warm, else it could again solidify.

4) In another saucepan, add milk and sugar. I have used organic brown sugar. You may use any kind of sugar you like. Mix well until sugar dissolves well.

5) Add corn starch. Mix well until it combines well without any lumps.

6) Add cocoa powder.

7) Whisk well such that the cocoa powder is incorporated well without any lumps remaining.

8) Heat the saucepan on med-low heat and bring it to a boil while stirring continuously. You’ll notice slight thickening of the mixture. Turn off heat.

9) Add the agar-agar and mix well.

10) Add a pinch of salt. Mix well.

11) Allow the mixture to cool down a bit and pour into bowls and refrigerate until well set.

12) Serve it chilled topped with cherry coulis or fruits or chocolate shavings.

If you happen to try this Chocolate Panna Cotta Recipe; leave a comment, let me know how it turned out. Use in your Instagram posts – #theredplatechroniclesbymeenadanti and tag @theredplatechronicles . To see more of my work, follow me on

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Have a great day!
Love
M❤️

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