How to make South Indian Filter Coffee
Only south Indians will understand this phrase ‘filter coffee is an emotion’…. We south Indians give way more importance for our morning coffee. Though every home in South India has their own way of making coffee, in this post we will see how an authentic south indian filter coffee is made.
There are three important factors in making a coffee which cannot be forgotten for at least an hour after drinking.
- Selection of the filter
- Selection of coffee powder
- And the brewing method
Selection of the filter
- Though all the south Indian coffee filters are more or less the same, the size of the filter matters a lot.
- Select the size of the filter based on the number of glasses of coffee you are going to make.
- This is very crucial because the brewing method here is pour over method and more the layers stronger the coffee.
- If you are gonna make a single cup of coffee in a big filter, the layer of coffee powder will be less hence water will pass through the coffee powder soon and will be collected in the lower chamber quickly. The collected decoction will not be strong enough and will also be lacking in aroma.
- In the same scenario, if you use a smaller filter there will be more layers of coffee powder, water takes time to pass through enabling for maximum extraction of strength and flavour.
- There is a numbering system for identifying the size of South Indian filters. If you want to make coffee for a single person you can go for size 0, similarly size 1 for 2 to 3 members, size 2 for 4 to 5 members and so on. You can select the size accordingly.
Selection of coffee powder
- Now coming to the most important thing to make a good cup of coffee, there are lots of coffee powders available in the market.One frequently asked question is, coffee powder with chicory or without chicory? In fact you can use both coffee powder with and without chicory but few changes should be made while brewing.
- Chicory gives a texture to the coffee. Coffee with chicory will be creamier in texture, while coffee without chicory will be lighter in texture. So it is a personal preference to use it. Usually coffee and chicory in the ratio of 85:15 yields one of the best coffees.
- You can either use store bought coffee powder in the above ratio or get a custom blend from your regular coffee retailer.
Filter Coffee | Filter Kaapi Recipe
I have used 85:15 store bought coffee powder in this recipe.
Procedure with step by step pictures
- Before assembling the coffee filter check whether there are any clogged pores in the filter. If not you can assemble the filter and proceed. If you notice any clogged pores, just show the pores of the filter over a low flame for 2 minutes and then proceed.
- First add a layer of sugar(¼ tsp), then add the coffee powder, then place the umbrella attachment of the filter.
- Now slowly pour the hot water over the umbrella attachment and close with the lid.
- Leave the filter undisturbed for at least 15 minutes.
- During this time, you can start boiling the milk. The milk should be boiling hot while adding to the decoction.
- After 15 minutes, check whether all the water has been absorbed by the coffee powder. If not wait for a few minutes.
- Then transfer the collected decoction and add sugar to a glass. Add milk slowly.
- Mix and froth everything together by pouring back and forth using two glasses for a better taste and serve.
- Coffee is an acquired taste and hence you can see how the strength of the brewed coffee suits you. You can increase or decrease the decoction added to the milk to your preference.
Recipe notes
- If using pure coffee powder without chicory add 2 tbsp coffee powder and 80 ml of water.
- Many store bought blends contain even 40% chicory. In those cases you can add 100 ml water for 2 tbsp coffee powder.
- Full fat milk gives an excellent texture to the coffee. But you can use skimmed / standardized milk too.
- Experiment milk/decoction ratio according to your palate. We like ours on the stronger side. So this recipe yields a strong cup of coffee. If you want a lighter coffee reduce the amount of decoction added to the milk.
Filter Coffee Recipe | Filter Kaapi
Authentic South Indian filter coffee made with freshly brewed decocotion.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp coffee powder
- 60 ml hot water
- 100 ml boiling milk
- 1 tsp sugar can increase or decrease to taste
Instructions
- Before assembling the coffee filter check whether there are any clogged pores in the filter. If not you can assemble the filter and proceed. If you notice any clogged pores, just show the pores of the filter over a low flame for 2 minutes and then proceed.
- First add a layer of sugar(¼ tsp), then add the coffee powder, then place the umbrella attachment of the filter.
- Now slowly pour the hot water over the umbrella attachment and close with the lid.
- Leave the filter undisturbed for at least 15 minutes.
- During this time, you can start boiling the milk. The milk should be boiling hot while adding to the decoction.
- After 15 minutes, check whether all the water has been absorbed by the coffee powder. If not wait for a few minutes.
- Then transfer the collected decoction and sugar to a glass. Add milk slowly.
- Mix and froth everything together by pouring back and forth using two glasses for a better taste and serve.
- Coffee is an acquired taste and hence you can see how the strength of the brewed coffee suits you. You can increase or decrease the decoction added to the milk to your preference.
Notes
Recipe notes
- If using pure coffee powder without chicory add 2 tbsp coffee powder and 80 ml of water.
- Many store bought blends contain even 40% chicory. In those cases you can add 100 ml water for 2 tbsp coffee powder.
- Full fat milk gives an excellent texture to the coffee. But you can use skimmed / standardized milk too.
- Experiment milk/decoction ratio according to your palate. We like ours on the stronger side. So this recipe yields a strong cup of coffee. If you want a lighter coffee reduce the amount of decoction added to the milk.