Elaichi Coffee Recipe

Crush cardamom

Lightly crush the 4 green cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife to open them and expose the seeds. Remove the seeds from the pods and lightly bruise them — you want aromatic pieces, not powdered cardamom.

Grind cardamom with coffee (optional)

If you prefer a more integrated aroma, add the bruised cardamom seeds to the 4 tbs of coffee and pulse once or twice in a spice grinder until coarse combined. Alternatively, keep them whole for brewing and straining.

Boil water and start brew

Bring 300 ml water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, add the coffee (ground coffee with or without cardamom seeds) and 1 tsp sugar if using, stir once, and simmer on the lowest heat for 3 minutes to extract a strong concentrate.

Steep and strain

Remove the saucepan from heat and let the coffee steep for 2 minutes. Then strain the brew through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter into a heatproof container to remove grounds and cardamom husks/seeds. You now have a strong coffee concentrate (about 200–250 ml).

Heat and sweeten milk

In a separate saucepan, warm 300 ml whole milk over medium-low heat. Add 2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste). Stir frequently to dissolve the sugar and prevent a skin forming. Heat until the milk is hot and just starting to steam, but do not let it boil (about 3–4 minutes).

Froth milk (optional)

If you like your Elaichi Coffee with foam, froth the hot milk using a handheld frother, French press, or by vigorously whisking for 30–60 seconds to create light foam.

Combine coffee and milk

Pour about half (100–125 ml) of the strong coffee concentrate into each of two cups. Top each cup with an equal portion of the hot milk (about 150 ml milk per cup depending on concentrate amount), holding back foam with a spoon to place it on top afterward if desired.

Garnish and serve

Sprinkle a pinch (about 1/8–1/4 tsp) of ground cardamom on top of the foam or directly into the cup for extra aroma. Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more sugar if needed. Serve immediately while hot.