Beaten coffee (Indian Cappuccino- without a fancy machine)

I love my morning cup of coffee. Or rather used to. Now I just drink that pathetic coffee from a cafetiere, that too sometimes after about an hour or so after its made. I remember being fussy about my morning coffee and I also remember having to let go of that fuss just because making a decent South Indian style filter coffee was just too much work, first thing in the morning. This way, Ro makes us both coffee in the morning and I just gulp down that watery concoction without any complaint. Well I did complain about my lack of a decent coffee once in a while, and my request for one of those fancy Nespresso, cappuccino makers fell on deaf ears. Instead, me and my girl pals go and indulge in an expensive cup of coffee at one of those artisan coffee shops once in a while. No its doesn't solve anything, rather it just makes things worse because you'd know what a good coffee actually tastes like.

I get this coffee fetish from my mom i suppose. She makes the best coffee and I kind of miss that now, especially because I got to enjoy it almost every morning last month. She likes it super duper strong with loads of sugar, and what do you know..i like it exactly that way too. This coffee drink, very similar to a cappuccino in taste, was made quite regularly this time. If decoction coffee was not available (since it takes a while to make), this was the coffee of choice. I learnt how to make it, for those evenings you crave a good cup of coffee and of course, to remember home where everything was just perfect.

The trick is to froth up the mixture and the quantity of milk makes that happen. Keep adding a few drops to start with and slowly increase, if you feel its needed to get the mix going. It loosens up after a few stirs and so add only after you do so. There is no particular recipe for this coffee, its more like a do-as-per-your-taste kind of a thing, but just for keepsake, here's an outline of what goes into it. Really, try this out and you wont ever need a fancy machine at home.

PS: A special thanks to my good friend Rashida for sourcing that gorgeous chai carrier from a chai wallah. I know she went through quite a bit of trouble to get the authentic one and I am so glad I have friends like these who absolutely understand my prop obsession. 

A big hug to Manjiri who brought me tea glasses from Mumbai to complete the whole look. Thanks darl.

And lastly, a group hug to my mum, my aunts and my neighbours back home who I harassed non stop for those thin cut glasses (the one you see in the foreground) that are extinct in Kerala (apparently), and to the old uncle who let me raid his shelf to find 2 that fit my imagination perfectly well. :)

Makes 2 (strong) cups

Instant coffee powder/granules- 2 tbsp (reduce it if you don't like your coffee too strong)

Sugar- 4 to 5 tsp (adjust according to taste)

Milk- 1 1/2 cups (at least 4 % fat)

Water- 1/2 cup

Tip in the coffee powder, sugar and 1 tsp cold milk into a cup large enough to handle 2 cups of liquid. I used my measuring cup for this.

Using a spoon, vigorously mix it all up, like it stirring motions. The mix would be dark, almost blackish in colour when you start off and as you keep mixing, the colour would lighten and slowly start getting creamy and frothy.

Keep stirring (vigorously being the key word) till the mix turns to a light brown colour.. I wish i could explain this better, but you'll understand when you see it. It would be significantly different from what you started with.

Keep this mix aside.

Bring the milk and water to a boil a saucepan. 

Give the coffee mix one last proper stir and into it pour the boiled milk..slowly.

Mix gently, do a taste test for sugar , pour into individual mugs and enjoy.

Notes: As you can see from the picture, my coffee was really strong which invariably means I need more sugar. You know how much sugar and coffee you need so add accordingly. The only thing to remember is the milk. Add just a few drops, enough to get the mix moist. If there's a lot of liquid then it doesn't foam up too much.

A milk frother should be able to make the stirring a bit easier. Haven't tried it, so don't take my word for it.

You can do the same with cocoa, sugar and milk too

I've said at least 4% fat is a must. But if you are using low fat milk, then make that 2 cups and omit the water.

Cappuccino at home

From scorching 32C a couple of days back we went to 15 degrees today and heavy rains. Although the heat kinda got to me at one point, I actually haven't had enough of sunshine (literally) in my life. I have also not been cooking too much, simply because I don't feel like it. After researching and writing and editing 2 to 3 articles a day, and an hour gone swimming, then grocery shopping, I am pooped by the end of the day. There is no energy left to whip up something nice, leave alone style it, take pics and blog. If Ro's working from home then its even more tiresome with lunch also thrown in.

But the good thing is, I learned a couple of interesting things with the articles I have been writing. For example, I learned that you don't need a fancy schmancy espresso maker with a foam nozzle to make a cappuccino at home. The bad thing, however, is the craving I get for all the things I write about :O

I used to love a good cuppa cappuccino when we were in India. The Coffee Day ones were so amazing, I could easily have 2 to 3 at one go. But here, its not the same. Its way too milky for my liking. So whenever I head to a Starbucks or Costa, I end up ordering an Americano and then add a wee bit of milk. I prefer super strong, super sweet coffee's and I must add that the coffee maker/ cafetiere ones come no where near our South Indian filter coffee. But we are now so used to having it, or rather we are so used to the convenience of just pouring it out of a pot that we have forgotten how yummy it really is. Ro has made it a point to grind his own coffee and use it, which is fine when you take it black. But with milk, it all just goes for a toss.

Anyways, coming back to the cappuccino. It is so darn easy that I cant even imagine how I never came across this procedure. Don't believe me? Read on.

Instant espresso powder- 2 tsp per cup (1 tsp if you don't want it too strong)

Sugar- 2 tsp (as per taste really)

Boiling water- 1/3rd cup

Milk- 1/2 cup

Tip in the espresso powder and sugar into a coffee cup.

Add the boiling water, stir and keep aside.

Heat the milk in a microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds and pour into a cafetiere/ French press and pump the plunger about 8 to 10 times continuously till you see enough froth.

It should be ideally half milk and half froth, but its OK if its not perfect.

Pour the milk over the strong espresso slowly followed by the froth.

You can top with some coffee powder or chocolate if you please.

Notes: I first tried using an immersion blender to make the froth but in vain. It just took forever, and the froth produced was meagre compared to the cafetiere.

Watch this video for a better idea. I gasped at the end of it cos it was as simple as that.

If you don't have instant espresso powder then make normal coffee and use that instead.

You can add some sugar to the milk to make it extra sweet :)