HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

     I woke up today to find that it is International Coffee Day!!! All these times I was waiting to write about Malaysian Kopi & Kopitiam and I don't think I would find a better day for it. Well, have you been to Malaysia, if not make a visit when the borders open. You are missing out something if you have not visited Malaysia, I would say you are missing out really good food. Next time when you visit make sure to walk into a Kopitiam. It is an experience to indulge when you are in Malaysia. Based on current events, it is quite unlikely in recent times for you to come here and gain your own Kopitiam experience. But I am sure that you can get indulged in a quick homemade Malaysian Coffee alias Kopi. Let's trick our sense and make up our mind for the time being.

    A KOPITIAM or KOPI TIAM in my opinion is one of the humblest, but the best coffee establishments in the world. Sure, it is not as refined or as posh as its contemporaries but it has its uniqueness. It is a traditional Coffee house found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and in Southern Thailand. Catering its style of Kopi(Coffee), Teh(Tea), Beverages like Horlicks, Milo & simple meals. The word 'kopi' is a Malay term for 'Coffee' and 'tiam' is the Hokkien/Hakka term for a shop (店). Menus typically feature a simple variety of food like half-boiled Eggs(served along with Soy Sauce, Salt & Pepper), Bread Toast with Kaya(Coconut based Jam made with Egg, Coconut Milk & Sugar) and few other local delicacies.

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

    Long time back I wrote a poem while I was sitting in the alley near this Kopitiam place. My husband had to visit a client near the place and I was waiting for him in the car as always with a Novel in my hand.  But on that particular day, the moody-about to rain like weather and the crowd around kept me occupied. And these lines popped into my mind which I playfully jotted it down in my phone. Long forgotten... While I started writing about Kopitiam and the humble Malaysian Coffee the one & only Kopi, I was reminded of these lines and I went searching about for it in my notes... 

And here it is... I had named it as 

Sitting in an Alley ...

An old street in the heart of a city 

A street tended to look clean

Buildings proclaiming their age

Named to be as Vintage...

A style fascinating the present generation

Different faces pop up every now & then,

Inquisitive looks, a look which holds newness.

Tourists, locals, photographers, residents...

All walking around the streets

What these streets hold for them

Is completely unknown

To the onlookers...

Typical styles unique to themselves 

Are the shops lined up in the alley 

Some really old

Like pages from a yellowed

Dog-eared book 

With age-old owners 

Lingering around with ease 

Maybe, they’ve lived their life

In this alley clock-in, clock-out

Rusted out in the withering times

Stooped and shrivelled out of old age... 

Living a life of their own...

Some shops decked up to look old

Showcasing the commercials.

Fascinating the odds

Quite synonymous is the style 

Of a barbershop, small and lighted

Lined up with Decors from a thrift shop.

An age-old building flaunting the tradition 

Typical restaurants catering food in the name of classics

Small Kopitiams, bakeries & eateries

Streets with painted walls

Captivating the curious eyes 

Encasing an urge for a click...

All along I sit in my car,

Watching with awe,

The street, an age-old alley

Standing out in the sands of time.

The dimly lighted shops

Smells wafting from nearby restaurants

The moving crowd 

The curious little faces

With expressionless definitions

All the more the moving cars

Moving so close to our car, 

That I get alarmed when each one passes by...

The name of the Street is 

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

Johor Bahru

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

   Ok, now we will come back to Malaysian Coffee - Kopi. Once while I was in Singapore, I asked the person who was making Kopi (can I call him a Barista?!) in a Kopitiam situated below the National Arts Centre at Esplanade, how I can make this Kopi at home. He smiled and said it is easy. What we need is a decent enough Coffee Powder. Then he just said how he makes it. Just a Mug, a Coffee sock or a fine-meshed filter is all that you would need. Nothing fancy or tedious as it is. Measure up the Coffee powder and fill it up into the Coffee Sock, place the coffee sock into the mug. Pour in boiling water(just about 90°C - 95°C) into it. Brew for a few minutes and there you go with the Malaysian style Kopi. Make it thicker or thinner to your preference, add sweetener and serve it as Black Coffee which is Kopi O in local terms. Or simply add creamer/condensed milk to your Kopi for a fancier version which is Kopi C. 

     Any variation of Coffee & Tea has its own name when it comes to Kopitiam culture. Initially, I was awed by the 'initials' given along with Kopi & Teh... Kopi O(Kopi Or/Kopi Kosong), Kopi C which is truly Kopi Si, Kopi Peng & Teh O, Teh C, Teh Halia, Teh Tarikh etc., & etc.,

What makes Malaysian Kopi unique?

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

 

    Unlike most western brews, kopi is made from Robusta Coffee Beans, which contain a high dosage of caffeine. To enhance the flavour, the beans are roasted in a wok with butter/margarine & sugar. Some use Lard to roast the beans and I think it is not a common practice to use lard in Malaysia. This caramelizes the beans and gives them a unique aroma. 

For more BEVERAGES, Click here...

Cuisine - Malaysian(Hainanese)
Recipe Type - Beverage
Difficulty - Easy - Medium
Serves - 1
Author - SM   


Brewing Time - 5 Minutes
Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
 

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

    Well, lets now see how to make a traditional Malayasian Style Coffee - the humble Kopi. If you are going for some Malaysian style traditional Coffee gears then you may need a Stainless Steel Kopi Pot, a Kopi Socks and maybe some Porcelain Cups and Saucers with green floral prints. Then, of course, you would need some roasted and ground coffee powder. It’s really simple, all you need to do is to immerse(brew) the Kopi powder in hot water for about 3-5 mins to get a kopi concentrate. Then, remove the kopi grounds, dilute if necessary and serve!

Let's see how it is made traditionally,

• This recipe allows you to scale up your kopi brewing and to cater for more.
• The Coffee brew ratio is 12- 15gms of Kopi powder for every 240 ml Cup 

INGREDIENTS:

Ground Coffee Powder - 12- 15 Gms

Hot Water - 240 ml

Optional Ingredients:

Sugar/Brown Sugar

or

Creamer/Condensed Milk

METHOD:

For Kopi O or Kopi Or:

• Place a Coffee Sock over a Kopi Pot.
• Measure 12-15 Gms of Kopi Powder and put it into the Coffee Sock. 
• Pour hot water(just about 90°C - 95°C) into the Coffee sock.
• Make sure to wet all the Kopi Powder.
• Let it sit for about 3-4 minutes.
• Once brewed gently tap the Coffee Sock so that the brew is well mixed.
• Gently remove the sock tapping out the brew.
  
• Pour it out into Porcelain Cups, add any sweetener of your choice and serve it hot.
• I usually have my Kopi -hot, strong, with no added sugar in it which is called Kopi Gao(Kau).

For Kopi Si or Kopi C:

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

 

• Kopi Si/Kopi C is nothing but the same Kopi with the addition of Condensed Milk/Creamer/Evaporated Milk in it.
• Pour a Tablespoon of Creamer, stir well and there you go with a Cup of Kopi Si/Kopi C.

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN COFFEE - KOPI

NOTES:

• This brew is on a slightly strong side(Kopi Gao/Strong Coffee), which I prefer personally.
• You can adjust it by adding more or less water to suit your style of Cuppa.
• For a diluted version of Coffee, Kopi Po add more water to the brew.
• Make sure to add hot water while diluting the Kopi.
• Or if you prefer your Kopi cold (Kopi Peng), pour out the brew into a tall glass & add few ice cubes into it and serve it cold.

A Quick Tip:

If you do not have the traditional Kopi Gears:

• I do not have one & this is how I make this traditional Malaysian Coffee/Kopi.
• Use a Mug instead of the stainless steel Kopi Pot.
• As for the coffee sock, you should be able to find it at the hardware or utility stores in your neighbourhood.

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