Filter Coffee

sudheer poppa

Guerik, You can check in the south indian restaurants in Mumbai. There is a good number of the them in Mumbai, but I have no recommendations from experience.

Yesss, the coffee house coffee is great but not too sure if it is the filter coffee.

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ashish0608

About "South Indian" Filter coffee:

Filter coffee in the southern states of India is prepared from coffee beans fresh roasted, and ground not too fine. It is prepared as a daily ritual in most traditional and even modern homes, as the first thing in the morning. Walk down any lane, bylane or residential area in the early mornings, and don't be surprised by the all-pervading strong aroma of fresh coffee brewing from every other home.
In this method, a steel (most commonly) double deckered container is used. The upper portion has a lid, perforated bottom, and a plunger which fits snugly inside. The lower container collects the dripped decoction. It is a slow process, but the full flavour of coffee is extracted since a slow but concentrated decocotion is got. Decoction will last a few hours, if refrigerated even a day or two. But the best aroma is of fresh decoction.

North Americal Filter coffee, would request someone to explain that so that we get the comparison.....

beach

I get a sort of kick when I walk on the pavement in front of that coffee bean seller. The aroma is so piercing. They crush the beans in front of the buyer and mix with the chicory based on the request. The coffee bean shops can be smelled from a mile.

The quality of the filter coffee starts right from the process of buying the coffee bean powder. People ask the mix like 60-40, 70-30, 80-20 etc based on their taste. The standard instant coffee can never match this. If you are not lucky enough to have this at Indian homes (Tamilnadu and Karnataka), you need to go the to the traditional south Indian vegetarian restaurants. Not the posh modern places. They make only the instant ones.

Coffee is a bigger addiction than beer. But then beer was the first chemical industry invented by mankind (and prostitution, the first service industry ).Am I adding some masala to the coffee ?

(What is kölsch??)

This cost Rs5 at north TN. Stainless steel cup is the hallmark of the south.

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stormysky

Guerik,
1. Most of the resturants in Mumbai are south indian resturants. Most of them prepare good south Indian coffee. But be specific to ask for filter coffee.

2. Adding to what Ashish has to say, coffee will lose its aroma/ taste if the decoction is heated directly. The best way of preparing coffee is to:
a. Prepare decoction using boiling water
b. keep boiling hot milk ready.
c. mix milk and decoction at 50-50 ratio for strong coffee and 60-40 or 70-30 depending on how you like it.
d. Add sugar and mix it.
Enjooooyyyyyyyy.... aaaah

If the decoction/ milk are not hot, then what you will need to do is
a. mix both of them
b. pour it into a cup, place the cup in a trough of water and heat the water (so that the coffee is not directly exposed to the fire) and again enjoy..

On the same lines, for those visiting Mumbai and want to try out South Indian food check out a place called South India Concern in Matunga (East), 5 min walk from the rly station.
They serve traditional south indian meals on a plantain leaf for 20-25 bucks . You can also try out Ram Naik and Mani's resturant which are close by.

Regards
sK

-m2-

Filter coffee in north america or europe typically uses a paper filter in either an 'automatic' coffee maker or the manual 'pour boiling water through a filter containing finely-ground coffee' technique.

I always bring a filter cone and a winter's supply of paper filters (along with a means to heat water) with me so that I can enjoy a good brew in the morning. Finding good coffee not much of a problem in the south -- as beach says, you can smell a coffee bean seller a mile away as the bean grinding releases that teriffic aroma. Although the shops do generally blend with chicory (I think for economy reasons, not flavour), 100% coffee is available. I know this sounds like sacrilige, but I've found Nestle's milk-powder based 'Everyday' creamer works well and is convenient to carry/store.

Here's a picture of the 'personal-sized' cone set-up I use:

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bongdongs

Filter coffee in Mumbai,

The best area for coffee in Mumbai is probably the Tamil enclave of "Matunga". It is just to the north of Dadar and south of Sion. Tell the Taxi driver "Matunga central station". There is a big coffee place at the corner opposite the railway bridge. There is a strong smell of coffee that constantly prevades this place. My joke was that you dont need to buy any coffee just grab a cup of hot water and stand in front of this shop

Lots of small "south Indian" places in Matunga, any one will serve genuine filter coffee (but ask specificaly for filter).

For a genuine "south Indian" thali go to "Rama Nayaks" it it right outside Matunga Central station. You will see signs right outside the station or ask someone. Its on the 1st floor of the building (2nd floor for americans) This place is very popular with students and office workers and prides itself on its hygiene.

For a greater sense of adventure there are places in Matunga that cater to immigrant labor/truck drivers, where you can eat "sadam-sambar-tair" (rice, sambar, yogurt) on a banana leaf for as little as Rs 8 (in '95 atleast) but I wouldnt recommend for those without iron clad constitutions and diminished olafactory senses.

I am not sure if any "India coffee house" is still surviving in Mumbai (never heard of one)

Wander Whai

Beach
Thanks for the picture. Although it was cruel of you to make me look at it first thing when Iwalked into work. I had a pathetic little cup of 'Flavia (breakfast blend)' in my hands (not bad though all said and done). They do have a Flavia Chai that is verrry good.

Sahibcol
Next time get the double-deckered gizmo along with your filter coffee. Just go to a stainless steel store in any market (these are not hard to find at all) and ask for a coffee filter. Please for Heaven's sake, don't drink filter coffee made the instant coffee way. That's so uncool.

Thanks Stormysky for the coffee making tips. I think where I am going wrong is boiling the heck out of the filtered decoction. Hey how about the amount of coffee powder and water? Please give me the water volume in mls or oz and the coffee measure in American 'tablespoons' (if you don't have one, how about the spoon found in one of Beach's Idli pics?) Now that you know there are people on the opposite face of the globe who dearly miss their filter coffee, caress your cuppa some more every a.m, O.K?

Volga,
I think we are fighting a losing battle mainly because we the fairer sex are outnumbered by the not so fair sex in this forum. Our only hope lies in recruiting more of our kind to this site. If you can't win them, lose them is what I say....

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bijapuri

Dam yu Beach!!!

the planning for the next trip starts now!

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volga_volga

Bij, I said the same on the recipe of the day thread. We should get together one day to force feed him coleslaw sandwitches with Nescafe coffee.

freemanx

cologne beer

albaruni

There's not nearly the variety, but I think Filter coffee makes up for it in its intensity

cyberhippie

Starbucks bah humbug!
Check out Baristos on Connaught place or the other place just a couple of doors down for a really good cup of South Indian coffee!! Both places sell South Indian coffee by the pound so if you like it, take some home.
(Just around the corner from Wimpy)
And if you've been in India for a while check out Subway as well, damm fine smoked chicken subs (bagguettes)
I've become a bit of a coffee "head" since living in The Netherlands,the Dutch must be the unofficial coffee drinking world champions, Holland runs on coffee, strong and lots of it being the order of the day!! Mike would love it!!
No self repecting houshold is without a filter machine, and whatever time of day you turn up at a Dutch house you'll hear "bakkie doen" it's time for coffee and cakes yum yum!!Recently I've slowed down on this front, as, what with the quantity and the strength I was coming home from work completely wired!!

As for beer well it is an aquired taste, but also there's beer and there's beer!! India doesn't score highly in this area Godfather (Sikkim) or Kings (Goa) being the only two I really took a shine to but these pale into insignificance next to a good German or Czeck lager/pilsner or a a Belgian or Scottish real ale, by the way as a good intoduction to beers German Kolsch ain't a bad way to get aquainted!!
One beer I've never been able to get to grips with and I await the howls of derision is Guiness, nuff said!!

volga_volga

oufff!! cyberhippie, do you have any other punctuation marks on your keyboard i mean other than exclamation mark?

cyberhippie

Noted!!!!!!!!!

gopalk

The nearest I could try to get in the US for filter coffee was to buy the "French Roast" beans or some similar name and grind it and use it in the filter.

It also helps to enhance the flavor if you microwave the powder for 1 minute before using it.

Arrrgh! another couple of hours before I go home from work to settle down to a nice cup of Venus Coffee Powder filter coffee and some home made "murukku and seedai".