My husband is a huge Indian cuisine fan and he is amazing in cooking those dished too. Thanks to him, we have nearly all the spices you can think off, in our kitchen cupboards. I love cardamom for it’s unique taste. It became more common in the last year through chai tea. Cardamom and chocolate go so well together that I figured I should try a chocolate cardamom granola.

Makes: about 1.5 kgs/ 3 lbs
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 30 – 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 600g oats
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 150 coconut oil
• 220 g maple syrup
• 115 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (if you don’t have any handy, use a real vanilla pod or two tbsp of vanilla extract)
• 1 tsp chocolate extract (optional)
• 250 g slithered almonds
• 120 g roughly chopped walnuts

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cardamom, the salt and the cocoa.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste and chocolate extract. Whisk until completely combined.

Pour the wet mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Take the oats in your hands and press and rub well until everything is well combined.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread out evenly.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds and the walnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally stirring the granola so the top doesn’t burn.

Remove from the oven and stir one last time. Let cool completely. I usually prepare it in the evening and let it cool over night. Transfer the granola to an airtight container. The granola will keep for 2-3 weeks.