How Filter Coffee Is Brewing Up A Revolution

It’s time to shine the light on filter coffee once again; and we’ve got yummy recipes to help you do that

Bharath Balakrishna and Prashanth Nayak, co-founders of Bhava Coffee, give us the deets on the filter coffee revolution again in the brewing…

It’s not really a secret that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages across the world. Even in India, which is still largely considered to be a tea-drinking country, the consumption of coffee is slowly gaining momentum.

And, as more flavours get added to your favourite café’s menu, there is one variety of coffee that’s slowly inching back to claim its spot in the limelight, and that’s South Indian filter coffee. What we know as filter coffee is basically coffee brewed in the traditional Indian style – with the use of a percolator. This method of brewing coffee might owe its popularity to the Indian Coffee House way back in the 1940s. It was run by the Coffee Board of India and, as the coffeehouse culture began to spread across the country, beginning with its outpost in Jabalpur, filter coffee went with it.

Having said that, there is definitely a push on to making coffee popular, but this goes for all kinds of coffee in India. Even as the instant coffee market dominates the north, filter coffee continues to be most popular in the southern parts of India, with Tamil Nadu possibly being one of the highest coffee-consuming states in India at 60% and Karnataka coming next with 25%.

Enter the new generation coffee brands. These brands are not only pushing the filter coffee agenda in order to make it more visible but reinventing the brew as well. From smart packaging and storytelling to intelligent branding exercises, filter coffee is now being presented in a more contemporary manner. And, in all fairness, it is hard to resist the full-bodied aroma of this brew.

Add to that the surge in cafés across the country, and you have experiences that take the consumer through everything – bean to cup – and that not only educate them about filter coffee but also help them to be part of the bean’s journey.

Today, filter coffee is available across the country in many forms and sold by many brands. From your neighbourhood coffee roaster to established brands that are not only promoting this variety of coffee but also slowly infusing the thought that coffee does not only have to be consumed in a single way. This is where coffee-flavoured dishes and treats come into play. From biscuits to cakes to even desi sweets, there’s not a lot coffee cannot do to improve flavour. Coffee-flavoured cocktails are not new in India but what was once available only at top bars are now easily replicable at homes. And the more we include coffee in our routines, the more filter coffee thrives.

Experiment With Filter Coffee

The decoction made out of filter coffee has quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to usage. Apart from being the base liquid for filter coffee, the decoction can be used for many other mouth-watering recipes.

If you’re wondering how to experiment with coffee, here are some recipes you might want to try at home. These are simple but will definitely leave a good impression.

Tiramisu

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
200 g caster sugar
280 g mascarpone cheese

415 g whipping cream

90 ml Kahlua liqueur

180 ml filter coffee decoction

400 g savoiardi (or use ladyfinger biscuits or sponge fingers)

Cocoa powder, to garnish

Method

Whisk the eggs and sugar on a low flame in a double boiler (without the water touching the base) until the sugar is fully mixed (about 10 minutes).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mascarpone cheese to remove all lumps. Add the egg-sugar mixture in two to three batches and mix in lightly using a spatula.
Add the whipped cream to the mixture and use a cut-and-fold method to mix all the ingredients.
In a separate small bowl, mix the liqueur and coffee decoction. Dip the savoiardi lightly in this mixture.
Place a layer of these dipped biscuits in your serving dish. Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture, then add another layer of biscuits.
Refrigerate overnight.
Garnish with the cocoa powder before serving.

Mushroom Coffee Soup

Ingredients

40 g butter (divided usage)

30 g chopped onion

15 g chopped garlic

20 g chopped celery

200 g button mushrooms, sliced

2 to 3 porcini mushrooms, sliced

¾ cup milk

1/8 tsp filter coffee decoction

Method

Heat a saucepan on a low flame. Add 30 grams of butter, and then add the onion, garlic and celery, and cook until golden brown.
Add the button and porcini mushrooms with three tablespoons of water and sauté till the mushrooms are cooked. Add a little more water and cook on a low flame.
When the water has reduced to half, turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool. Blend the cooled mixture in a mixie.
Strain the mixture, and add the milk.
Heat a pan and add the remaining butter. Add the strained soup and bring it to a boil. Add the coffee decoction. Allow to boil for one minute, then turn off the flame.
Serve hot.

Images: Shutterstock - used for representational purposes only

Also see: Try Something Different: Mango Banana Bread

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