South Indian Filter Coffee

Rarely you come across some one who doesn’t like filter coffee in India.Particularly in southern part of India, not a day goes by without every morning ritual of making filter coffee.Awesome is the aroma of the coffee which kicks off your sleepiness and awakens the taste buds.Needless to say, tasty coffee is a good start for the day.And obviously making of good filter coffee comes by practice.The quality of coffee powder also plays an important role in this.Usually I use Mr Bean or brookebond coffee powder for making filter coffee.Here I present how to make South Indian filter coffee. Njoy Cooking,Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Coffee powder: 3 tbsp heaped (Bru/Mr Bean/Any local brand)

Water: 21/2-3 cups

Sugar: 1tsp

Boiled milk: 1 small cup

Method of preparation:

1.The coffee filter contains four parts.The upper part (Perforated chamber) to put coffee powder and hot boiling water.The lower part/chamber to collect the decoction. And long stem sieve to press the powder.Lid is also present to close the filter.

2. Take the upper perforated chamber place it above the lower part and put 3 tbsp of coffee powder.Use long perforated stem to press the powder.

3.Take a vessel and pour 3 cups of water. Bring it to boil and pour hot boiling water into the upper perforated container.

4. The decoction percolates to the lower chamber slowly.This process will take approximately 15-20 minutes.Meanwhile boil the fresh milk.

5.Now the decoction is ready to make coffee. Take approximately 1/4 cup of decoction to make 1 cup or tumbler of coffee.

6.Take the required amount of decoction and 1tsp sugar and add hot boiled milk with a frothy layer on top of it.

7. Now the piping hot coffee is ready to drink in a cup or “dabara tumbler”.

Tips:

1. Always use fresh hot boiled milk (Preferably full cream milk) to make filter coffee. It’s not advised to reheat either the decoction or coffee.Reheating gives bitter taste to the coffee.
2. Always I use first degree of decoction(Which means brewing the decoction only once).
3.Some pour hot water again once the decoction percolates completely.This is called second degree ,but we get thin decoction out of it.
4. Clean the upper chamber with hot water and also with needle for better percolation once for 2/3weeks.Because sometimes the pores are clogged with coffee powder.
5. After making coffee the remaining coffee decoction can be stored in refrigerator and can be consumed within a day.Just add half tea spoon of sugar to the left over decoction. This addition of sugar retains it’s freshness and nice aroma.
6. But the fresh boiled milk and fresh decoction will alwAys give better taste and aroma.
7. I have two different sizes of filters for making coffee. Depending on requirement I choose the filter and adjust the coffee powder quantity accordingly. But here I have given measurements for big filter which I generally use at my home and quantities also vary according to individual choice.
8. The left over coffee powder waste after making decoction can be used to clean the stainless steel utensils along with soap water.And also the waste is dried under sun and can be used as rangoli colour.