Say what you will, filter coffee made in South India is uniquely delicious. Let us find out how to make this heavenly beverage South Indian filter coffee at home.
Coffee Making Ingredients
The ingredients required for South Indian filter coffee are surprisingly simple for a coffee of such amazing quality. The main things required are coffee grounds and a metal percolator.
The metal percolator is the hero of the South Indian filter coffee. This device is fashioned based on a simple concept of allowing hot water to collect the essence of the coffee powder and drip into the collecting container. A tiny umbrella shaped device allows for effective tamping of the coffee grounds as well. The next main ingredient is coffee powder. Fresh coffee powder is used where expert-roasted coffee beans are ground. This is bought freshly from time to time and is not stored for a long time to retain the freshness. The coffee powder is sometimes mixed with a certain percentage of chicory to give a denser volume to the coffee powder. The coffee to chicory ratio can be 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 or 90:10.
Coffee Preparation Methods
Preparation mainly involves keeping all the ingredients ready. Water should be boiled to a rolling boil and kept ready for pouring into the coffee filter. Milk is added to the coffee decoction and hence milk should be boiled and kept ready at an appropriate temperature as per individual preference. Sugar should be kept ready as per requirement.
The Brewing Procedure
To brew filter coffee, 4 to 5 tablespoons of fresh filter coffee powder is loaded into the top container of the coffee filter apparatus. The metal tamping device is placed on top of the coffee powder to evenly distribute the coffee powder and tamp it. This device has holes on top to let water mix with the powder. Rolling boiling water is poured into the top container and the lid is closed to maintain the steam.
When you let this sit for 4 to 5 hours, the water passes through the tamping device and through the coffee grounds into the lower container. The holes in the top container allow the decoction to drip into the lower container. The decoction collects into the lower container and is typically stronger than a shot of espresso.
The Serving Style
Once the decoction is ready, it is mixed with milk and sugar to make a cup of coffee. Usually, two tablespoons of decoction are mixed with 6 to 7 tablespoons of milk. This can be varied as per the required "strength" of the coffee that is required. One tablespoon of sugar is added for sweetening and can be varied as per personal taste.
The characteristic feature of Traditional South Indian filter coffee is the way that the coffee is poured between a davara and a tumbler. The davara is a flat-bottomed short metal cup and the tumbler is a metal container that is narrower and lengthier than the davara. The process of pouring the beverage back and forth creates an airy froth that lends a great taste to the coffee.
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