Velchi coffee or Coffee infused with cardamom

This is a slightly odd addition to the Ganpati menu but bear with me whilst I explain why. As I said in my post on this festival, the Ganpati celebration was an occasion for the entire clan to gather at my grandparents’ home for the post dinner evening worship.

Obviously, it was important to serve the guests some refreshments and the timing was perfect for a cup of coffee. Not just any old cuppa though. What made this coffee special was the addition of cardamom pods while brewing it.

Full fat milk, loads of sugar, cardamom pods and coffee powder were brewed together until it was thick, frothy and decadent. As you can probably see, this wasn’t for those with a delicate appetite.

I have modified the original version to make it more digestible to present day tummies.

So here it is in all its modern glory and it’s so simple I can hardly call it a ‘recipe’.

Velchi (cardamom infused) coffee

Ingredients:

100 mls milk

100 mls water

1 heaped teaspoon sugar

3-4 crushed cardamom pods (skin and all)

1 heaped tablespoon coffee powder*

Method:

1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the milk, water, sugar and crushed cardamom pods.

2. When the mixture is simmering, add in the coffee powder and bring to a light boil.

3. At the first sign of bubbles, turn off the heat.

4. Strain into a mug and enjoy it steaming hot.

Notes:

1. All measurements can be altered to suit your taste. This coffee does need some sugar though as it can be quite strong.

2. The coffee powder used is MR coffee (55% coffee, 45% chicory) and makes a strong brew. You may need to brew a stronger decoction if using 100% coffee powder.