Filter Coffee
Every morning, a tumbler full of strong filter coffee is the first thing most South Indians look forward to. Filter coffee is typically made with strong, thick coffee decoction, freshly boiled full cream milk and some sugar (optional). It is typically served in a stainless steel/brass tumbler and a ‘davara’ – a little cup like vessel that the tumbler sits in. The tumbler and davara are used to froth up the coffee and simultaneously bring the steaming coffee to drinkable temperature.
I remember my grandmom making coffee. Those days filter coffee powder was made at home once in 2 or 3 days. She used to carefully roast the selected coffee beans (a blend of the two main coffee varieties – Arabica and Robusta), grind it in a hand grinder, then make strong, aromatic coffee decoction using a thick cotton cloth stitched just for this purpose (coffee filters were very rare those days). Then she used to boil the milk until it reduced a bit and became frothy and creamy, mix the decoction and milk, added enough sweetness, and served the best coffee. Thankfully, nowadays filter coffee powder and the metal coffee filter are readily available in stores!
Coffee making is an art. It’s not just mixing coffee decoction/instant coffee powder with hot milk and drinking. There is definitely much more to this. There are two varieties of filter coffee powders available. One is pure coffee powder, just the blend of Arabica and Robusta. The second variety is a blend of coffee powder with a small component of chicory. Chicory is a herbal root, considered a coffee substitute. It helps reduce the caffeine content and bitterness in coffee, while at the same time increases the thickness and strength of coffee. The ratio of coffee to chicory varies in different brands ranging from 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 or 90:10. A blend of 80:20 is generally considered the most balanced, but this ratio is purely a personal choice and depends on how thick and strong you want your coffee to be.
Happy to share and dedicate this Filter Coffee blog post to my awesome, coffee loving Irish son-in-law.
Ingredients
Water – 250 ml
Filter Coffee Powder – 5 heaped tsp
Full cream milk – 250 ml
Sugar – 2 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Yield
320 ml
(serving size 150 – 160 ml)
Prep time
20 mins
Special Equipment
South Indian Coffee filter
Cook time
5 mins
Method
1) First, take the coffee filter, keep the collecting vessel down and fix the perforated vessel on top. Put the coffee powder inside the perforated vessel. With the back of a spoon (or with the plunger attachment that comes with the filter), press the coffee powder and pack it tightly (see note 1). Then add 1/2 tsp of sugar on top of the coffee powder.
2) Carefully pour 75-80 ml of near boiling water on top of the coffee powder-sugar mixture. Close the filter with the lid and let it sit for 10-12 mins.
3) After 10 mins open the filter, add another 60-70 ml hot water and close the lid of the filter. The coffee decoction drips down slowly into the bottom collecting vessel.
4) After 10 more mins, check the bottom vessel of the filter. You will have around 70-80 ml of thick, strong decoction collected. Take this coffee decoction in a tumbler and davara. Pour from tumbler to davara and back into the tumbler to froth up the decoction. Skim the froth with a spoon and set aside. Cover the decoction with a lid and set aside.
5) Take full cream milk in a pan and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, simmer and keep stirring the milk for a further 2 mins. Pour this hot milk in the tumbler and froth up the milk by pouring into the davara a few times (you could also use a milk frother if you have one!). With a flat spoon, skim the milk froth and keep it aside. Add around 35-40 ml coffee decoction on top of the milk.
6) Add 1 tsp of sugar to this filter coffee. Again pour the coffee into the davara from the tumbler a few times to dissolve the sugar and froth up the coffee. Add the milk and coffee decoction froth, that you kept aside, on top of the coffee.
7) Serve hot filter coffee in tumbler and davara (the typical South Indian style) or in a coffee mug. Serve along with some deep fried, salty snack, like crispy bajji or kunukku if you’re feeling naughty.
Notes
- Pressing the coffee powder and packing it tight in the perforated top vessel is the first important step to get a thick, strong coffee decoction. If you don’t press the powder down in the filter, the powder-sugar mixture can get lumpy when you pour the hot water and block the tiny holes. The hot water might also drip down too fast if the coffee powder is not packed properly and will result in a watery decoction.
- Use hot water, not boiling water, to make your decoction. Boiling water reduces the aroma of the decoction.
- Use full cream milk for a rich, tasty, filter coffee, rather than using low fat or skimmed milk. If you are using vegan milk alternatives, go for a thicker milk like soy or oat milk.
- Once you boil the milk, make your coffee immediately. If you delay and allow a skin to form, the coffee won’t be as good. The skin that forms is actually a layer of fat and makes the rest of the milk thinner.
- Adding sugar is completely optional. But to get the authentic taste of South Indian filter coffee, adding some sugar is important.
