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South Indian Filter Coffee-How to make Filter coffee

May 2, 2012 by PadhuSankar 58 Comments

South India is very famous for it aromatic filter coffee. South Indian coffee is milky and is served hot in a traditional tumbler and davara (see pic below). I love coffee very much – by coffee I mean filter coffee.I do not like these instant coffee varieties and never drink it. Earlier I was so much addicted to coffee and could not do any work in the morning without my cup of hot filter coffee. Though I have switched to oats porridge now, I still love filter coffee very much and drink occasionally or when I am in a mood to drink coffee. My most favorite brand is Lavazza. When it comes to local brands, I prefer narasus coffee powder.

South Indian filter coffee
South Indian Filter Coffee
South Indian coffee is brewed in a coffee filter. It comes in different sizes.Choose a filter according to your family needs.The coffee filter has 2 containers, an upper container with holes, a lower container to collect the decoction, a lid and a pressing disc with a center handle to press the powder which I do not have with me (so not shown in the picture below).

Coffee filter-South Indian Coffee filter
South Indian Coffee Filter

How to prepare Filter Coffee


Filter Coffee

 Prep Time : 5 mins

 Cook Time : 10 mins 
 Serves: 2
 Recipe Category: Beverages
 Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
 Author:Padhu Sankar

   Ingredients needed

   Coffee filter
   Coffee Powder – 3 tbsp
   Water – 3/4 cup
   Fresh Milk for 2 cups of coffee
   Sugar as required

Method

How to make filter coffee-Filter coffee
How to make Filter coffee
1. Put 3 tbsp of coffee powder in the upper container, fix it on top of the lower container and tap the container gently, so that the powder will settle evenly.

2. Bring water to rolling boil and pour it over the coffee powder. Close it with a lid and leave it undisturbed for 10-15 minutes.

3. The coffee decoction will get collected in the lower container (See picture 3).

4. Boil milk and simmer for a few minutes stirring continuously. Pour needed decoction in a cup and add milk and sugar to taste. If you want it strong, add more decoction, if you prefer mild coffee, add less decoction. Serve hot and frothy in tumbler and davara. Enjoy the aroma and the taste of South Indian filter coffee.

Tips for brewing a perfect filter coffee

Use fresh coffee powder, fresh decoction and fresh milk.

For a good coffee, coffee powder also plays an important role. Mix equal quantities of freshly roasted and ground Peaberry and Plantation A coffee beans for super tasting coffee. You can get it roasted and ground in a coffee shop which sells coffee powder. For thickness, some people add 50 grams chicory powder for 1 kg of coffee powder. I personally do not prefer it.

Coffee with left over decoction or old stock coffee powder does not taste good. So try to make fresh decoction every time you prepare coffee.

If the holes of the coffee filter is blocked, show it in direct flame for 2-3 seconds and then use it.

Dry the filter well before adding coffee powder.

Coffee filters come in various sizes. If using less coffee powder, use a small coffee filter.

Meet you with more interesting recipes. Have a good day!

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Filed Under: Beverages, Uncategorized Tagged With: Coffee recipes, South Indian recipes, Uncategorized




Previous Post: « Mango Ice Cream-Mango Ice Cream Recipe
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Happy Cook / Finla

    May 2, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Love S Indian coffee, only wish i had a filter like this at home.

    Reply
  2. Hari Chandana

    May 2, 2012 at 8:58 am

    Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww !!!!!!!
    Indian Cuisine

    Reply
  3. Priya

    May 2, 2012 at 9:29 am

    I dont have words to say how i miss this filter coffee,love it.

    Reply
  4. Akila

    May 2, 2012 at 9:39 am

    Filter coffee is ways the best…. Awesome clicks….

    Event: Dish name starts with L

    Regards
    Akila

    Reply
  5. Madhu Pravin

    May 2, 2012 at 9:40 am

    I've been havin filter coffee for years n am still addicted to it. You should try Kannan Jubilee coffee powder with chickory. I go weak on my knees for it 🙂

    Reply
  6. Sangeetha Nambi

    May 2, 2012 at 10:03 am

    I can feel the smell 🙂

    Reply
  7. Valarmathi Sanjeev

    May 2, 2012 at 10:26 am

    Love this filter kaapi….

    Reply
  8. Saraswathi Iyer

    May 2, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    Its my favourite drink, my post is also coming soon. nice clicks.

    Reply
  9. Srimathi

    May 2, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    I love narasus coffee and drink it a a lot when I get to India. Something about India and coffee. A very informative post.

    Reply
  10. faseela

    May 2, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    Superb Padhu……….

    Reply
  11. Kannada Cuisine

    May 2, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    Ah! the filter coffee..I remember the filters. The one my granny had was big enough for a soup pot lol

    Reply
  12. Zari(Nilam)

    May 2, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    Great….good job.
    http://zariafrozrecipes.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  13. Anisha Ranjit

    May 2, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    Though I'm not a regular coffe drinker… I love Filter coffee.. it is only recently I started making it at home… 🙂

    Reply
  14. Shabitha Karthikeyan

    May 2, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    Totally love filter coffee !!

    Reply
  15. Rani acharyulu

    May 2, 2012 at 5:39 pm

    My most favorite beverage….nice post..

    Reply
  16. Rathai

    May 2, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    This is all very interesting to me as I haven't had the famous filter coffee yet but have seen and heard of it in so many movies and blogs. I would love to taste it one day.

    Reply
  17. Ruprekha

    May 2, 2012 at 7:27 pm

    Wonderful! Must learn this.
    A lovely blog.

    Reply
  18. Aruna Manikandan

    May 2, 2012 at 8:42 pm

    love it…..

    Reply
  19. R

    May 2, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    would love to have a cup of such delicious coffee 🙂

    Reply
  20. usha anandvenkatesh

    May 3, 2012 at 1:33 am

    I follow the same procedure as stated by you. The tip for clearing the block in the filter is useful. I will try it immediately. Thanks.

    Reply
  21. Deeps @ Naughty Curry

    May 3, 2012 at 9:08 am

    nothing like hot tumbler or frothy filter coffee.. thats a thorough post

    Reply
  22. hemalata

    May 3, 2012 at 10:14 am

    So inviting filter coffee.

    Reply
  23. Restaurants In Hyderabad

    May 3, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    You made me remember the filter coffee advertisement when i was child..Your post made me smile thanks for valuable information.. 🙂

    Reply
  24. notyet100

    May 4, 2012 at 11:16 am

    I luv filter coffee like anything,

    Reply
  25. Home Cooked Oriya Food

    May 4, 2012 at 12:33 pm

    love it… I can smell the coffee here…

    Reply
  26. Harshita

    September 17, 2012 at 9:50 am

    I tried it first when I was in Banglore. I liked it so much that I had it everyday till I was there. I am not sure if I can get the same coffee powder you use as I reside in North India. Can I use the brands like nescafe or something?

    Reply
  27. shantanu jog

    October 1, 2012 at 9:05 am

    thanks… i guess where i was going wrong is using old decoction.

    Reply
  28. sami

    November 24, 2012 at 10:31 am

    awesome

    Reply
  29. Dorkydudette

    December 10, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    Though it might look as a simple post, it is sometimes very useful for a beginner like me.

    Reply
  30. Divazzi

    January 19, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    Thank you for your post, it reinforces what steps my Ajji takes to make filter coffee, even my husband who isn't Indian absolutely loves it. Its a must in our Aussie household!

    Reply
  31. nitish singh

    March 2, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    6 yrs with filter coffee @south,,,,,now @north india,,,,,being a typical north indian<<<<i m missing my beloved Tamil style filter coffeee

    Reply
  32. Manish Jain

    March 16, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    where would i get a coffee filter

    Reply
  33. PadhuSankar

    March 18, 2013 at 7:38 am

    In South Indian, it is commonly available in all shops selling steel household utensils.

    Reply
  34. balutanjore

    March 27, 2013 at 4:30 am

    grind 50% pb and 50% reb seeds(roasted at home). no chicory.use before two hours.fresh buffalo milk gives excellent aroma

    Reply
  35. prakash walke

    May 5, 2013 at 11:56 am

    I love filter coffee. I was searching for the filter in the big cities like Mumbai for a long time but could find it in Madikeri(Karnataka) last week. May be I will try making filter coffee shortly. Thanks for your blog post.

    Reply
  36. Pooja Kaushal

    October 8, 2014 at 2:49 am

    Thanks a lot for the well explained process for preparing filter coffee.

    For cleaning the holes I would suggest using a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Clears holes and keeps the container shining bright.

    Reply
  37. വയനാടന്‍

    October 22, 2014 at 11:26 am

    Sorry to say hat what you wrote about the third component of the coffee filter is wrong,
    it is definitely not to plunger to press the coffee powder,
    it is an important component of coffee filter which prevent the flushing of hot water through the powder and allows the slow sweeping in of boiled water through the powder to ensure the taste and aroma of the coffee
    (please note that tiny holes and little convex shape of the platform)

    Many of the users who is not aware about this will keep this part away during filtering as you did here
    and that dilute the taste and aroma very much..
    to just make sure this pls try one decoction with and another without this ,you will understand that makes a deference

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      October 25, 2014 at 8:23 am

      I do know that but since it is a recipe site I did not want to elaborate on it. I am a South Indian and we prepare coffee everyday. Even without that component, you will get thick decoction if you tap the container slightly for the powder to settle and then pour boiling water. This is from my experience.

      Reply
    • Unknown

      December 28, 2017 at 11:58 am

      The taste and aroma of coffee firstly depends on the beans the extent of roasting and the fineness of ground pwdr.

      Reply
  38. R.VENKATARAMAN

    August 26, 2015 at 11:36 am

    1. I get coffee powder from Leo cofee. what is the best combination of different breeds (peaberry, plantation A, B etc ) for strong coffee
    2. Is chicory necessary. I am not interested in color but in strength
    3,. sometimes I see powder in the decoction. how to avoid it.

    Reply
  39. Nuti Parikh

    September 11, 2015 at 6:19 am

    Hi. Good post. I too use pure coffee powder leo brand but my decoction is too thin.. watery.. can u help me with that? Any specific water powder proportion or some other technique?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      September 11, 2015 at 7:46 am

      After adding the coffee powder to the filter, just tap it so that the powder will settle down, then pour boiling water. You coffee decoction will be thick. And also do not add too much water. If it is just for 1 or 2 persons, you will get a small coffee filter in the market.

      Reply
    • Nuti Parikh

      September 12, 2015 at 8:06 am

      Thanks for the reply. I do tap it and also press the powder a little so that water donot run out quickly. Still the same problem. Is the water and powder proportion said above is to be used for pure coffee too or little less water?

      Reply
    • Nuti Parikh

      September 12, 2015 at 8:08 am

      Do u use purea coffee or with chicory? Which brand? Does ur decoction turn out thick with pure coffee without chicory? Whts the water powder proportion u use? Also is the powder finely ground?

      Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      September 12, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Try adding less water, if you want thick decoction . If it is pure coffee powder, add less water. If it has chicory, you can add more than you use for pure coffee powder as chicory will give the thickness. I use narasus coffee. Decoction will not be very thick when using pure coffee powder. Try experimenting and you will find our what suits best for you. I have given you the measurements under tips – adding or not adding chicory is your personal choice.

      Reply
    • Nuti Parikh

      September 12, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      Thanks

      Reply
  40. C KARTIK

    February 15, 2016 at 3:57 am

    Awesome directions.I try using milk powder and sweeteners(2 capsules).Do yu have any tips how to brew a frothing cuppa using milk powder?
    Thank you.

    Reply
  41. Sruthi M

    September 28, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Hi padhu, i stay in mumbai, i had this coffee with red band called jayanthi coffee, which was perfect for my steel filter, do you know where i can purchase this coffee? Which coffee do you use at home ?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      September 29, 2016 at 8:43 am

      I have no idea as I do not live in Mumbai. I use Narasu's coffee or India Coffee.

      Reply
  42. Sudha Avoronnan

    August 15, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Hi, can we use cold(not too cold) water if we are making the decoction overnight?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      August 16, 2017 at 6:52 am

      No, you must use only boiling water.

      Reply
  43. Vratesh Chopra

    October 22, 2017 at 4:30 am

    Hi Padhu, can I reuse the powder again ? Or is the powder meant to be used for decoction extraction only once ?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      October 22, 2017 at 8:09 am

      After extracting the first thick decoction, you can pour more boiling water (1/4 th of what you poured for the first decoction) and extract the second decoction but that will be very light. If you do not prefer strong coffee, you can make coffee by mixing the first and the second decocotion. After that you have to discard the coffee powder. You can use it for plants.

      Reply
    • Vratesh Chopra

      October 22, 2017 at 10:45 am

      Thanks for such a quick and practical advice

      Reply
  44. Radhi

    May 19, 2019 at 4:59 am

    Hi padhu……I love all your recipes…..can u plz tell me the proportions of narasus coffee powder and chicory…….?

    Reply
    • PadhuSankar

      May 23, 2019 at 12:06 pm

      I have already mentioned under tips. Now pasting it for you here
      "For a good coffee – Mix equal quantities of freshly roasted and ground Peaberry and Plantation A coffee beans for super tasting coffee. You can get it roasted and ground in a coffee shop which sells coffee powder. For thickness, add 50 grams chicory powder for 1 kg of coffee powder"

      Reply
  45. Suganthi

    May 5, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    Hi padhu akka. Which lavazza coffee do you drink ? For example crema gusto etc. Becoz I want to know which one will taste similar to indian coffee.

    Reply
    • PadhuSankar

      May 7, 2020 at 8:51 am

      I drink only South Indian filter coffee. But lavazza has a similar taste.

      Reply

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Meet Padhu, the Chef, the photographer, recipe developer and web designer behind Padhuskitchen which features Simple Indian Vegetarian recipes, healthy recipes, kids friendly recipes, Indian festival recipes, traditional South Indian Vegetarian ...

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