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Ipoh white coffee
Kopi putih Ipoh: margarine-roasted beans brewed through a cloth sock and stirred with condensed milk
Ipoh's old town kopitiams, with their marble tables and morning crowds queueing for kai si hor fun and egg tarts, gave Malaysia its 'white coffee'. The name comes not from milk but from the roast: beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine, lighter than the dark, sugar-roasted kopi of the rest of the country, then brewed and served with condensed milk. It is smoother and less bitter than ordinary kopi, nutty and buttery, pale caramel in the cup, drunk hot at breakfast or iced in the afternoon heat. At home, buy ground Ipoh-style white coffee from an Asian grocer; you cannot easily reproduce the margarine roast in a kitchen. The common mistake is brewing it like espresso: forced extraction makes it bitter and kills the soft, toasty flavour. Steep it in a cloth sock or a coffee filter with water just off the boil. It is ready when the brew is reddish-brown and clear, not inky. This is a strong coffee with real caffeine, not for children. Chef's tip: warm the cups with hot water first; white coffee cools fast and loses its aroma.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For two cups
- 1 oz ground Ipoh white coffeemargarine-roasted, medium-fine
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
For iced white coffee
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 1 ¾ cups water to the boil, then let it stand 30 seconds.
4 minStep 2: Put 1 oz ground Ipoh white coffee in a cloth coffee sock or paper filter set over a jug and pour over a little of the water to wet it. Wait 30 seconds until it puffs up.
1 minStep 3: Pour over the rest of the water slowly and let it drip through, lifting and dipping the sock a few times, until the brew is clear reddish-brown.
4 minStep 4: Spoon 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk into two warmed cups, pour in the coffee and stir until evenly pale caramel.
1 minStep 5: For iced white coffee, let it cool for 5 minutes, then pour over 12 ice cubes in tall glasses.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ipoh white coffee take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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