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South Indian Filter Coffee in a cup
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5 from 40 votes

South Indian Filter Coffee – Madras Degree Kaapi

There is no other coffee in the world that can be any better than filter coffee also called Madras Degree Kaapi. That is the rule in my house and we are pretty serious about it.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Coffee, Drinks
Cuisine: Asian, Indian, South Indian
Diet: Low Salt
Servings: 1 People
Calories: 138kcal

Equipment

  • Filter
  • Cup
  • pan
  • Jug

Ingredients

For the decoction –

  • 3-4 Coffee powder depending upon the size of the filter
  • Boiling hot water
  • filter
  • A small jug to collect the decoction

For the filter coffee – (1 serving)

  • ¾ cup Boiled milk should be boiled and simmering
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar or based on your liking
  • 3-4 tablespoon Decoction depending on how dark you like the coffee
  • Davara and Tumbler the traditional cup and saucer of a South Indian household

Instructions

To make the decoction –

  • Prepare the coffee filter by fitting the two compartments together.
  • Add the coffee powder to the top compartment and press it down with the plunger attachment that comes with the filter (I could not find the plunger attachment, so used a small glass to press it down). When pressing down, the amount of pressure applied is very important. If too tightly pressed, the water will not be able to seep through and hence it will take a very long time for the decoction to come down. If pressed too lightly, the water will filter through the coffee powder too quickly and hence might result in a thinner decoction. By practice and trial, one could master the perfect pressure.
  • Boil water in a small pan. Once the water boils, slowly add it over the coffee powder in thin stream going around the filter in the periphery. This is to ensure even distribution of the water. Fill it with water all the way to the top.
  • Now close the filter and let it do its little magic in filtering out the decoction. This will take 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the coffee powder.
  • Once all the water has disappeared from the top you could remove the decoction from the bottom compartment and pour it in a small covered jug. It is important to keep the decoction covered at all the times to prevent it from losing its aroma. This will be the first thick decoction.
  • Repeat the same process again to make the second decoction and pour this along with the first one in the small jug. The decoction is now ready to use.

To make the Filter coffee –

  • Heat the milk in a small sauce pan. Once the milk boils, carefully pour it into the tumbler and add the sugar to it. Now pour the milk into the davara and back into the tumbler couple of times to create the froth and to dissolve the sugar.
  • Now add the decoction to the milk and repeat the mixing process for couple more times.
  • Serve piping hot with a layer of froth on top!

Notes

  • To get the best flavor, always use fresh coffee powder and fresh milk. This is one reason, we grind our coffee beans periodically ourselves and not grind the whole bunch.
  • Never heat the decoction or the coffee directly over the flame. It will absolutely spoil the taste and flavor of the coffee. The tip I learned from my mother is that she boils some water and places the decoction inside the hot water for few minutes to heat it up. This is very essential for people living in colder places, since adding the cold decoction will instantly bring the coffee temperature down.

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 348mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 1mg