Every part of India has its prominent food and beverages. These foods and beverages help in forming the cultural and regional identity of that part of the country. Coffee is believed to have been introduced in India during the 17th century. There is a story about a person called Baba Budan who was on a religious pilgrimage from India to Mecca and brought seven beans of coffee back to India from Yemen. It was then that coffee was planted in the Southern part of India for the first time. Since then coffee consumption in India has gone through various stages.
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Although it is not as rampant as tea consumption, coffee also has its fan base. Filter kaapi is one of the most popular ways of consuming coffee in India and it is a very famous beverage that is made in the Southern part of the country. If you are wondering how to make the perfect filter kaapi at home, then here are the tips and tricks you need to follow.
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* Infusing Coffee Overnight
One of the most important qualities of the filter kaapi is the fact that it is brewed and then allowed to rest for at least 11 to 12 hours before being used to make a proper coffee. This is actually what helps in imbibing robust and unconventional flavours into the coffee that one would not find any other kind of coffee. One has to simply brew coffee and then keep this mixture in the refrigerator overnight. It is only the next morning that a person should be using this coffee mixture to make a proper coffee.
* Don't Boil Coffee And Milk Together
Another common mistake that a lot of people make while making filter kaapi at home is boiling coffee and milk together. This is not the right way of making the authentic style filter kaapi as it may burn the coffee. The right way to make authentic South Indian-style filter coffee is to boil the milk separately and then add it to the coffee mixture that has been prepared overnight. This actually helps in striking the perfect balance of flavours and also the step prevents any kind of disturbance in the autonomous flavour of either coffee or milk.
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* Adding Milk
Now one must make a note that the amount of milk that is added in the filter kaapi is something that should be taken great care of. Generally, while making coffee at home, people are quite liberal and add milk as per their preference. However, to make the most authentic style of filter kaapi at home, one has to be very careful and precise about the amount of milk that is being added. The milk has to be added in a quantity that neither makes the mixture too thick nor too thin for a beverage. One must make sure that the filter kaapi can easily pass through the tongue and doesn't coat the tongue at all.
* Sugar
The amount of sugar that is added to the coffee generally depends on the taste of the person. Many people do not like to add too much sugar to their coffee. The authentic style filter kaapi is sweeter and is generally not bitter. However, there is no such rule as the amount of sugar that has to be added to the coffee may depend on person to person. For sweetness, a person can add regular refined sugar and may also go for any other kind of sugar that they like.
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* Frothing Coffee
The coffee froth also helps in imparting a very nice and creamy texture to the coffee. The right way to give a thick and creamy froth to coffee is by taking the coffee and transferring it from one cup to the other. This step should be repeated back and forth to make a creamy froth on the top. Although a lot of people have started using coffee machines to make the traditional filter kaapi, the original and authentic way to make this coffee is by transferring it from one cup to the other to give it a unique texture. This step helps in capturing the real essence of the filter kaapi and helps in giving a very aromatic and rich touch.