FILTER COFFEE / SOUTH INDIAN COFFEE – STEP BY STEP

My mom used to make instant coffee with Bru. Its my favourite.I love it from my childhood days.I had a thought only Brahmins make filter coffee.So i used to call filter coffee as “ Brahmin’s coffee” / “Iyer coffee”.. I tasted filter coffee only after my marriage from my MIL’s hands.She uses Coffee day , Indus Coffee powder & sometimes cothas too. Everything tastes good.I should say i am addicted to the taste & smell of it .Sometimes i feel giddy after having a coffee.. So my husband tells me to avoid coffee/tea.He scolds me whenever he sees a cup of coffee in my hand.Though i try to refrain from drinking coffee , i cannot do it. I drink minimum of one cup per day .. I know most of u love coffee like me  Do try this recipe with some tips i’ve given below. I am sure it helps .I have given “ How to make Bru instant coffee for beginners” from my mom. Please have a look at the end ..Also Dont forget to read the tips section. I’ve given the explanation for “Degree coffee “ which i got from wikipedia. Its interesting

INGREDIENTS

Milk - 1 cup Coffee powder – 1 tbsp Roasted methi seeds powder –1 big pinch (optional) Sugar – 1.5 - 2 tsp Water – As needed ** Coffee Filter – Refer below ..

METHOD

Take the coffee filter's percolator ( ie. the part with perforations/holes)sprinkle little sugar at the beginning before adding coffee powder.This helps for faster filtration of dicoction. Add the coffee powder & roasted methi powder . Press it gently with ur fingers and then place the strainer. Add hot water till half of the filter.Tap it with the lid and close it immediately .Wait for 10-30 mins for the first thick decoction. Reserve the first decoction in a tumbler.U can make coffee with the first thick decoction if u want a strong coffee ( this is called first degree coffee , kumbakonam degree coffee). If u wanna light or medium strong coffee , then add little more water to the filter and wait for some more time to get the second thin decoction. Mix the first & second decoctions and add as per ur taste. My MIL says this method gives the best coffee. Now boil the milk and add 1.5 – 2tsp of sugar to one cup of milk. Then add the decoction as per ur taste and swish it. Serve it frothy !! Piping hot frothy filter coffee is ready to enjoy with ur favourite snacks !! We usually serve in traditional “Davarah- tumbler” which u can c in the picture ..

STEP BY STEP PICS

**COFFEE FILTER You'll need a traditional FILTER which is made of 4 parts. 1. The lid that comes on top of the percolator. 2. The percolator, you can also see the base is punched with holes 3. Strainer, this looks like an umbrella . 4. Collector, The fourth part forms the base which collects the strained decoction.

TIPS

• In a kadai dry roast  a fistful of fenugreek seeds and powder it in mixie.Add this powder to the coffee powder while making decoction.This gives additional bitterness & flavour.Its healthy too. Diabetes patients can give this a try. But its completely optional for others...
• I have used “Coffee day coffee powder “ with chicory.If u use INDUS or COTHAS or COFFEE DAY coffee powder without chicory add 2 tbsp instead of 1 tbsp.. U can make 3 cups of coffee with the coffee powder quantity i’ve mentioned.
• I have used small size filter. If u use bigger ones , increase the quantity of coffee powder twice or thrice. Please don’t use the same quantity for big filters. If u have left over decoction , u can keep it in refrigerator and use it the next day . But Please avoid keeping decoction for 3-4 days. It may become a poison.
• If u feel the decoction is brewed very slowly , tap it once on the umbrella like strainer or show the filter over the flame for few secs before adding coffee powder.I’ve mentioned to add sugar before adding coffee powder . This is also for quicker brewing..
• A term often heard for high-quality coffee is degree coffee. Milk certified as pure with a lactometer was called degree milk owing to a mistaken association with the thermometer. Coffee prepared with degree milk became known as degree coffee..
• Another explanation for degree coffee is that chicory beans were used to make the coffee. The South Indian pronunciation of chickory became chigory then digory and finally degree.
  
• Yet another explanation is that, when coffee is decocted for the first time, it is called as the first degree or simply as the "Degree Coffee". This has the strongest flavour and the necessary strength to mix with milk without watering down the taste. In less affluent households, in earlier days, coffee was decocted for a second or third time from the same initial load; this became the second degree coffee and naturally, is not as strong. Affluent households drank first degree or the famous "Degree Coffee" only.
  
• Interestingly, there is a Kannada name for coffee "Boondh Bisneeru". "Bisneeru" sounds a great deal like "bisi neeru," or "hot water," thus leading to speculation that the terms are connected. Although not used currently, this was used by ladies two generations ago. The Srilankan Tamil name for coffee is "Kottai Vadineer".
• For cleaning the filter , drop the bottom part in hot water for few mins. Also pierce the holes with a needle to clean it.
• In Hotels , they used to add hot water till half of the filter and after it drips down  , they again add hot water for half filter. This way helps to extract the full essence of coffee powder and also the coffee tastes gr8. 

                                  HOW TO MAKE INSTANT BRU COFFEE

My MIL says making instant coffee is also an art. She says , the sugar should be just rite. Sometimes it may be too bitter or too sweet to taste.She also says my mom makes good instant coffee. So i got this ratio of sugar & coffee powder from my mom , tried it and posted for beginners.. Experts , please excuse me

• Boiled milk – 1 cup ( 200 ml )
• Bru instant  powder– 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ( Add 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp  , that would be enough . it u want strong coffee , add 1/4tsp more.)
• Sugar – 1-1.5 tsp
• Water – Add very little( say some 1/8 cup) ( if milk to too thick. My mom said milk shouldn’t be too thick for good coffee..)

METHOD

• Boil the milk and take one cup of it. Add sugar , coffee powder and froth it.Check for taste and add more coffee powder for strength and color if necessary.I love coffee to be mild , so i add very less coffee powder. Please adjust as per ur taste.

Frothy , hot instant bru coffee is ready to enjoy !!
** Please don’t add more sugar for the mentioned amount of Bru because u wont get the bitter taste and sweetness would be more.For 3 people , u can add 1 tsp of coffee powder.

                          

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