Kattan Kappi: Kerala Black Coffee, Explained

Kattan kappi is Kerala's everyday black coffee: coffee powder boiled straight in water with sugar or jaggery, no milk, no filter. It's what many households drank before filter coffee took over, and what plenty still make first thing in the morning. It takes about five minutes and needs nothing more than a pot and a strainer.

How it's different from filter coffee

• No filter. The coffee is boiled directly in the water, then left to settle and poured off.
• No milk. That's the "kattan" part: black and strong.
• Sweetened while it boils, usually with sugar, sometimes jaggery or karupetti (palm jaggery).
• Lighter to drink. Thinner than a filter coffee decoction, meant to be had by the glass rather than sipped slowly.

Recipe for two glasses

• 2 cups water
• 1½ to 2 teaspoons coffee powder
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar or grated jaggery

1. Bring the water to a boil with the sugar or jaggery already in it.
2. Add the coffee powder. Let it rise once, then lower the heat and simmer for a minute.
3. Turn off the heat and let it stand for two minutes so the grounds settle to the bottom.
4. Pour carefully into glasses, leaving the grounds behind, or strain it through a fine strainer if you'd rather not chance it.

A few variations

• With dry ginger, it edges towards chukku kappi, good for a cold or a rainy morning.
• With a crushed cardamom pod, fragrant and a little sweeter-smelling.
• With karupetti instead of sugar, a deeper, earthier sweetness that a lot of older people still prefer.
• With a small piece of cinnamon or clove, less common, but pleasant in cooler weather.

Which coffee powder to use

A Robusta-heavy powder suits kattan kappi. It's strong, and its slightly bitter, chocolatey edge holds up well against jaggery. Whether you want it with chicory or without comes down to taste: pure coffee gives a cleaner cup, while coffee blended with chicory gives a darker, heavier one, closer to what most South Indian hotels serve.

Our own Naadan filter coffee is Wayanad Robusta blended with chicory, in the same proportion used for hotel-style filter coffee. It works fine for kattan kappi too. If you specifically want coffee with no chicory at all, this isn't that, and it's worth knowing before you order.

When to drink it

Early morning, on a cold day, after a long day outdoors. It isn't trying to be a fancy coffee. It's the one people actually reach for.

Get our Naadan filter coffee and use it either way, boiled for kattan kappi or run through a filter the usual way.