Kopi
Kopi: Singapore kopitiam coffee with condensed milk
Kopi is the strong, thick coffee poured from long-spouted pots at kopitiams all over Singapore. The beans are dark-roasted with sugar and margarine, which gives a bittersweet, almost chocolatey brew, and the classic cup is sweetened with condensed milk. Order it like a local: kopi-o is black with sugar, kopi-c has evaporated milk, and kopi peng is iced. At home, a dark-roast robusta or espresso blend in a cloth sock or cafetière gets close. Chef's tip: pour the coffee back and forth between two jugs a few times; it cools slightly, aerates and gets the smooth, frothy kopitiam texture.
- Total time
- 7 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 4 tbsp ground dark-roast coffee in a cloth coffee sock set in a jug, or in a cafetière. Pour over 1 ¾ cups boiling water and leave to brew for 4 minutes; it should be very dark and strong.
4 minStep 2: Strain (or press). Pour from one jug to another 3–4 times, holding the top jug high, until the coffee is frothy.
Step 3: Put 2 tablespoons 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk in each cup, pour over the coffee and stir until creamy and caramel coloured. Add 2 tbsp evaporated milk if you like it lighter. A common mistake is using a light roast; it tastes thin and sour against the sweet milk. For kopi peng, pour over a glass of ice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kopi take?
- About 7 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 5 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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