What is Chocolate Chips? Glossary | Uses + Recipes with Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips, typically small, teardrop-shaped pieces of chocolate, have become a beloved baking ingredient globally, and India is no exception. While chocolate itself has a history in India dating back to the British colonial period, initially a luxury item, it gained widespread popularity post-independence with the growth of local cocoa cultivation in southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Chocolate chips followed suit, transforming from a niche imported item to a common baking staple, readily available in various forms like dark, milk, and white chocolate chips. Brands like Cadbury, Nestle, and numerous local manufacturers now offer a wide range of chocolate chips to cater to diverse consumer preferences across the country.

In the Indian context, chocolate chips are primarily used in baking to add bursts of rich, chocolatey flavor and texture. The most classic application, just like elsewhere, is in chocolate chip cookies, which are immensely popular in Indian households and bakeries. These cookies often have an Indian style twist, sometimes incorporating spices or local flours. Beyond cookies, chocolate chips find their way into muffins, cakes, brownies, pancakes, and waffles, adding a delightful element to these Western-inspired desserts that have found a firm footing in Indian culinary landscape.

Beyond traditional baking, chocolate chips are increasingly integrated into fusion desserts that blend Indian and Western culinary traditions. You'll find them in innovative creations like Chocolate Chip Coconut Ladoo, where mini chocolate chips are folded into the traditional Indian sweet, offering a modern twist to a classic. They also appear in Chocolate Paan, adding a sweet and sometimes slightly bitter note to the refreshing mouth freshener. This creative incorporation into traditional Indian sweets and snacks highlights the adaptability of chocolate chips and the Indian palate's openness to new flavors and textures.

The availability of various types and sizes of chocolate chips, from mini to jumbo, and different cocoa percentages (dark, milk, white), allows for versatility in their application. They are not just for baking; many simply enjoy them as a snack on their own. As India's sweet tooth continues to evolve, chocolate chips have firmly cemented their place as a versatile and widely used ingredient, proving how a global ingredient can seamlessly integrate into and even elevate local culinary traditions.

How to select chocolate chips• Choose from the various size and flavours available in the market. • Make sure the packet is sealed and always check for the manufacturing and expiry details mentioned on the packet. • Make sure the chips are crisp and devoid of fungus or any other signs of moisture and moulds.

Uses of chocolate chips in Indian cooking

These chips are commonly used to make chocolate chip cookies which are very common and favourite amongst all. •

Indian style Cookies with chocolate chips

Chocolate chips in every bite is just too good. And these small chips are loved by all, let that be adult or kid. Try these recipes serve them as a snack or dunk them in milk and enjoy.

1. Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies | Indian style eggless chocolate chip cookies | vegetarian eggless chocolate chip cookies an ideal melt-in-the-mouth texture and the sweet scent of vanilla, speckled with chocolate chips, which will add more joy to every bite.

2. Chocolate Cookies | eggless chocolate cookies recipe | Indian style dark chocolate cookies | double chocolate chip cookies a melt-in-the-mouth experience of buttery, milky, chocolaty cookies studded with chocolate chips.

3. Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies a delightful guilt-free recipe that you can enjoy once in a while! With loads of protein and fibre, this delicious, soft and chewy.

These chips can also be added to sundaes and various kinds of desserts. • Chocolate chips can be used in pancakes, waffles, cakes, pudding, muffins, crêpes, pies, hot chocolate, and various types of pastry. • Chocolate chips can also be melted and used in sauces and other recipes.

How to Store chocolate chips• Always store them in an air-tight container and keep them refrigerated. • Keep them away from other string flavoured food products.