A Brown Kitchen: Jaggery chocolate cake with chai masala

Imperfections make us more interesting. We might not celebrate them at first, but as we grow, we learn to appreciate them more. Our oddities make us unique, special and most often, let us add something new to the table. A world that’s perfect might be just a little bit boring.

The element of sweetness is one such element. It’s one of the basic tastes our body encounters when we eat food, and it’s what makes a pastry like a lemon tart delightful. When it comes to taste and aroma, there are so many different options beyond standard sugar. Maple syrup, honey and brown sugar quickly come to mind. And then there’s Indian jaggery, whose impurities and imperfections only make it shine brilliantly.

Jaggery in its truest form is one of the most unrefined forms of sugar produced in India, similar to the Mexican piloncillo. It starts with crushed sugarcane (or palm), and just like molasses, the liquid is heated in large pans until the liquid has evaporated. What’s left behind is a complex, solid brown concentrate solid; it tastes sweet yet mildly like molasses with a light mineral taste.

Jaggery comes in many different forms. The version that is typically sold in America is the one harvested from sugarcane. You can purchase jaggery in block form, in various grades of light golden yellow to a darker brown tone. (Note: You can buy jaggery at most Indian and international grocery stores. I get mine at the Bombay Spice House in Berkeley. )

But if all you can get your hands is a block of jaggery, fret not — all you need is a knife. Jaggery is soft and can easily be sliced or cut into thin shavings. You can also cut it into chunks, stick it into a ziptop bag and pound it lightly with a rolling pin.

Nik Sharma lives in Oakland. His new cookbook is “Season.” Follow him on Twitter at @abrowntable Email: food@sfchronicle.com

Recipe: Jaggery chocolate cake with chai masala

This is a very simple chocolate cake, spiced with a mixture of ground tea leaves and chai masala. The trick here is to use a blender, a technique I recommend when making oil-based cakes. Not only will it help emulsify the liquids, it also helps to distribute the jaggery evenly. This is an every day cake, one to be served with a cup of hot tea. You could certainly add a frosting, but I like to serve it with the crunchy sweet topping of the toasted hazelnuts coated in jaggery. A little bit of sweetened crème fraiche on the side can add a tangy note.

Makes one 8-inch cake

The cake

Butter for greasing a cake pan

1¾ cups cake flour

¾ cup sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons chai masala (homemade or store-bought)

1 tablespoon ground black tea leaves (such as Assam or Darjeeling)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

11/3 cups packed jaggery

¾ cup milk, room temperature

¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 large eggs, warmed to room temperature

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon hazelnut or vanilla extract

The topping

½ cup whole hazelnuts

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons jaggery

1 teaspoon chai masala (homemade or store-bought)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, chai masala, tea leaves, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a blender, pulse the jaggery, milk,yogurt, eggs, oil, hazelnut extract and 1 cup water for a few seconds until smooth. This will help remove any lumps from the jaggery but also help emulsify the mixture.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and carefully mix the liquid ingredients into it, whisking until smooth. Transfer the cake batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake has risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack in the pan for at least five minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake and let it sit on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the topping: Place the hazelnuts in a zip-top plastic bag and pound them gently to crack and crumble them. Combine the nuts with the remaining ingredients to the skillet. Fold with a spatula to coat evenly and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the nuts start to release their aroma and turn golden brown. Transfer the nuts to a tray lined with parchment paper and leave to cool completely. Once cool, place them on top of the cake before serving.

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