Brewed with Love: The Journey of a Coffee Lover ☕️

For many South Indians, coffee isn’t just a drink—it’s an institution. To not be fond of coffee feels like a betrayal to one’s roots; at least in my home. Yet, for the longest time, I wasn’t part of that coffee-loving crowd. To be completely honest, I could never understand the obsession with it. In fact, I disliked it. Maybe I had my reasons, maybe it was just a quirky childhood preference, but my relationship with coffee was always complicated.

Whenever a fresh packet of milk was boiled in my home, I would gladly consume coffee if it was piping hot. But the moment it cooled down even a little, the magic was lost for me. Milk, that thin veil of golden liquid, would start forming droplets of fat as it cooled, and I could never bear to drink coffee that came with those little droplets swimming at the top of my steel glass. The taste? Don’t even get me started. Malai (the creamy top) would make me cringe.

Tea, on the other hand, was my comfort zone. Maybe because it goes through a more stringent process; straining, boiling, and filtering; so it never had that "fatty" texture that made me turn up my nose. Still, the world around me couldn't understand my distaste for coffee. After all, in South India, coffee is more than a drink; it’s a ritual.

But then came the pandemic, the WFH days, where suddenly, the world slowed down enough for me to pause and notice the small things. That’s when coffee crept into my life, in its simplest form: instant coffee. Let me clarify—no, not the whipped Dalgona coffee that gripped the internet. I’m talking about the real deal—instant coffee that had all the warmth and simplicity I needed. I dabbled with a few brands and finally found my soulmates: Bru Gold and Nescafé Sunrise. The mild, uncomplicated flavors became my morning companions, each cup giving me a comforting sense of routine as the world felt a little too chaotic.

In those days, there was also a little puppy along with few other dogs in our area. With those big, pleading, puppiesshhhh eyes 🥺, I couldn’t resist feeding her curd rice or milk three times a day. I would start my mornings with my Bru Gold coffee, and then head outside to pour milk for the puppy, keeping me grounded amidst all the uncertainty. Those lockdown mornings became a reminder of how something as simple as a cup of coffee could lift my spirits. Despite everything happening around me, I found comfort in that ritual.

But coffee isn’t just a drink in my family—it’s a ritual. At my in-laws place, it’s always filter coffee, just like at my parents place. But here is the catch: I would only drink coffee if I made it myself (at any place 😑). After all, I knew exactly how I liked it. And then came my husband, charming as ever, brewing the strongest cup of coffee and dollops of malai you could imagine. “A little mercy, please,” I would say, “make it a bit normal/ medium strong just for me with 0 or -0 malai.” But that is love, right? His willingness to adjust and make sure I am content (or may be to avoid my rolling eyes 😒)? That is the true magic behind the coffee cup we share. And me, well, I bug him every single day to make sure my love reaches his ears, as he’s a little bit taller than me and I need to make sure I get his attention! Now, coffee for me is something I either make for myself, or my husband lovingly brews for me 😐

I know, I know, it is a lot of love, and I have poured my heart out here, but it is true; coffee- instant or filter coffee, has been a part of this beautiful journey that life has taken me on. From skepticism to full-on adoration, this cup of love has changed the way I see things. And I have learned to embrace it, imperfections and all.

Ingredients

• 1½ - 2 cups water
• 4 tbsp coffee powder

• 1½ cup milk
• 3 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Take a coffee filter which consists of 2 cylindrical vessels (bottom one for collecting brewed coffee decoction and the top one with perforated holes for adding ground coffee powder), pressing disk and a lid.
2. Add in 4 tbsp of filter coffee powder / ground coffee into the perforated vessel. You can add more for stronger decoction and press tightly with the lid provided with the coffee filter.
3. Boil 1½-2 cups of water and pour slowly into the top vessel covering almost full and cover for 15-20 minutes.
4. After 20 minutes, the decoction would have collected at the bottom of the vessel.
5. Pour ¼ of the glass with the decoction. adjust the quantity of decoction based on strong you prefer.
6. Add in 1 tsp of sugar or adjust to your sweetness. Also pour hot boiling milk, separating cream. adjust the quantity of milk-based on strong you prefer. Mix it 2 times to get frothy filter coffee.
7. Finally, serve south indian filter coffee immediately in the traditional tumbler or a simple steel glad like me.

Srishti’s Secret Tip for the Perfect Filter Coffee:

For the perfect filter coffee, use the right proportion of water to coffee. If you want a stronger brew, try using a little less water while brewing the coffee grounds in the filter. This results in a more concentrated coffee decoction, which you can then mix with milk to your desired strength. A trick I swear by? Pre-warm your milk and sugar together before adding it to your coffee. It helps to achieve a silky texture and better flavor infusion!

Srishti’s Healing Tip for the perfect cup:

While the coffee may taste simple, the memories it brings are anything but. The magic lies in the little details: how the milk froths, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the slow drip of time that takes you back to memories of simpler days. So when you sip your cup, take a moment to appreciate the richness in your life—just like you have come to appreciate that first sip of coffee.

Why you will love it:

Filter coffee has a charm all its own. It is not just the strong, bold taste that makes it stand out, but the memories and connections it brings. Whether you are sipping it alone in the quiet of the morning or sharing it with loved ones, it is a drink that keeps on giving. From my skeptical beginnings to my new-found love for coffee, I have learned that sometimes, love comes in the form of a simple cup of coffee—strong, comforting, and rich with memories.