South Indian Filter Coffee Recipe (Filter Kaapi)
South Indian filter coffee (also called filter kaapi) is a traditional Indian-style coffee made using a special filter. A coffee decoction is mixed with hot milk and sugar to create a perfect cuppa. Make it using my traditional recipe.
Servings: 3 people
Equipment
- South Indian Coffee Filter
- Davara Set
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons finely ground coffee powder or 3 tablespoon for medium or 2 tablespoon for light coffee.
- ¼ teaspoon granulated white sugar plus more to sweeten the coffee as per your taste.
- ¾ cup warm water NOT hot water
- 2 cups boiling hot milk
Instructions
Set Up The Filter
- Wash a 250-ml filter thoroughly. Dried coffee from the last batch can clog the holes in the upper cup, causing the filter to drip slowly or not at all.
- Fit the upper cup onto the lower container.
Make The Decoction
- Add coffee powder to the upper cup of the filter and spread it evenly using your fingers or a spoon.
- Sprinkle sugar over the coffee. It caramelizes slightly as the warm water passes through, rounding off the bitterness.
- Press the coffee gently with the plunger. Gently is the word. If you press hard, the fine coffee squeezes through the holes into your decoction, and the water also drips much more slowly.
- Pour in warm water until the cup is almost full. Use warm, not boiling water. Boiling water pulls out the harsh, bitter notes from a fine grind in seconds. Warm water with a long, steep pull brings out flavor and body without the bitterness. That is how you get a thick, smooth decoction.
- Cover with the lid and leave the filter on the counter. Give it 3 to 4 hours. You can pour after 15 to 20 minutes if you are in a hurry, but the decoction will be thinner. I set mine up at night, and it is ready when I wake up.
- Discard the used grounds, or keep them for a second, lighter batch.
Make The Filter Coffee
- Add 2 tablespoons of decoction to each tumbler. Adjust up or down depending on how strong you like it; this is your filter coffee ratio to play with.
- Top with boiling milk. The milk has to be scalding. Hot milk plus the pouring is what makes the foam, and lukewarm milk gives you a flat, sad cup. Add sugar to taste.
Pour It The Traditional Way
- Lift the tumbler by the rim. The sides will be too hot to hold. Pour the coffee into the dabara from a little height. Then pour it back into the tumbler, again from a height. Repeat three or four times. Each pass cools the coffee slightly and builds a thicker layer of foam on top. Serve the tumbler sitting in the dabara.
If the pouring feels risky, skip it. Stir in the sugar with a spoon and drink it as is. It will still be good.
Video
Notes
I use a small brass coffee filter (250 ml) to make three cups of coffee at a time, but you can use a larger filter and brew more decoction.
DO NOT use instant coffee powder to brew filter coffee.
It is best to brew the decoction the night before and make coffee in the morning.
Adjust the amount of coffee decoction and milk, depending on how strong you want the coffee
Nutrition
Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 244mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Calcium: 202mg
