This is a classic cafe-style cold coffee recipe. You need only 4-ingredients to make cafe-style chilled coffee at home.
About Cold Coffee
In the Indian subcontinent, when we talk about cold coffee, it means frothy, creamy, milkshake-style cold coffee.
It is quite the opposite of iced coffee. It has a lot of froth, sugar, and uses instant coffee powder, unlike iced coffee .
You need – chilled milk, instant coffee powder, granulated white sugar, and water to make cold coffee at home.
Often, cold coffee is topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup for an indulgent experience.
Instant Coffee Powder
The instant coffee powder can make or break your cold coffee. Hence, pick it wisely.
Use a strong instant granulated coffee powder with 70% to 100% pure coffee . A coffee powder with a high amount of chicory or chocolate flavor can never satisfy a coffee lover.
A few of my favorite instant coffee brands are – Davidoff – Rich Aroma, Narasu’s Insta Strong, Levista, and Nescafe Gold Blend.
Cafe Style Cold Coffee – 2 Ways
You do not need any fancy ingredients or equipments to make cafe style cold coffee at home.
Only 4 ingredients and a blender or a hand mixer are required for this cold coffee recipe.
I am sharing how to make perfectly frothy cold coffee in two ways. One, with a hand mixer.
Second, with a blender. You can follow either of these methods to make cold coffee.
Cold Coffee With Ice Cream
If you want to take your homemade cold coffee a step ahead and make it more indulgent, add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream on top before serving.
Or you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and milk while blending the coffee.
Please note that if you are adding ice cream/whipped cream/chocolate sauce, adjust the amount of sugar in the coffee accordingly.
My Tried & True Tips
An equal ratio of coffee, sugar, and water (1:1:1) works best to whisk the coffee to form soft peaks.
For the hand mixer method, I use hot water to whisk the coffee whereas for the blender method ice-cold water.
The granulated instant coffee powder works best for this cold coffee recipe.
From granulated white sugar to brown sugar, you can use either of the sweeteners to blend with coffee powder.
Make sure the milk is chilled and straight out of the fridge.
Do not blend the coffee for too long after adding milk if you enjoy a foamy coffee.
A smoothie blender like Nutri Bullet or Wonderchef is perfect for making my signature cold coffee. Or follow the hand mixer method.
Cold coffee is a frothy, creamy milkshake-style chilled coffee drink. The internet-famous Dalgona coffee has a thick layer of strong and rich whipped coffee on top of milk. Both are a variety of cold coffee, but the preparation method and taste are slightly different.
For any kind of cold coffee, full-fat or full-cream milk works best. You can also use vegan milk such as almond or soy milk for this cold coffee recipe.
An equal ratio of coffee, sugar, and water (1:1:1) works best to whisk the coffee to form soft peaks.
This cafe-style cold coffee remains frothy for a short span of time. After a few minutes, it starts turning flat like a regular iced coffee. I would suggest serving it immediately.
Yes, while blending along with milk, you can add ice cubes. I personally feel adding ice cubes dilutes the thickness and creaminess of the cold coffee.
More Summer Drink Recipes
Oreo Frappe
Sugarcane Juice
Mango Iced Tea
Orange Iced Tea
Mango Milkshake
Virgin Mango Mojito
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoon granulated instant coffee powder
- ▢ 2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoon chilled water
- ▢ 2 Cup full-fat milk, chilled
Instructions
Blender Method:
- Add coffee, sugar, and water in the blender. Blend for 10 – 20 seconds or till foamy and mixed well.
- Add milk and blend for less than 10 seconds. Cold Coffee is ready.
Hand Mixer Method:
- Combine coffee and sugar in a wide mixing bowl. Add hot water.
- Start whipping the coffee using a hand mixer whisk attachment at medium-high speed. After 5 – 10 minutes the coffee will turn into a light brown color with a whipped cream texture.
- Add a tablespoon or two of whipped coffee into the serving glass. Pour chilled milk. Stir using a spoon until combined well.
How To Serve Cold Coffee
- Transfer cold coffee to a serving glass. Garnish with whipped cream/vanilla ice cream/chocolate sauce.
- Serve cold coffee immeditaley.
Recipe Notes:
- In my opinion, use a strong instant granulated coffee powder with 70% to 100% pure coffee .
- For the hand mixer method, I use hot water to whisk the coffee whereas for the blender method ice-cold water.
- Make sure the milk is chilled and straight out of the fridge.
- Do not blend the coffee for too long after adding milk if you like to enjoy a foamy coffee.
- If you are adding ice cream/whipped cream/chocolate sauce adjust the amount of sugar in the coffee accordingly.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Cafe Style Cold Coffee Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon granulated instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoon chilled water
- 2 Cup full-fat milk, chilled
Instructions
Blender Method:
- Add coffee, sugar, and water in the blender. Blend for 10 - 20 seconds or till foamy and mixed well.
- Add milk and blend for less than 10 seconds. Cold Coffee is ready.
Hand Mixer Method:
- Combine coffee and sugar in a wide mixing bowl. Add hot water.
- Start whipping the coffee using a hand mixer whisk attachment at medium-high speed. After 5 - 10 minutes the coffee will turn into a light brown color with a whipped cream texture.
- Add a tablespoon or two of whipped coffee into the serving glass. Pour chilled milk. Stir using a spoon until combined well.
How To Serve Cold Coffee
- Transfer cold coffee to a serving glass. Garnish with whipped cream/vanilla ice cream/chocolate sauce.
- Serve cold coffee immeditaley.
Notes
- In my opinion, use a strong instant granulated coffee powder with 70% to 100% pure coffee .
- For the hand mixer method, I use hot water to whisk the coffee whereas for the blender method ice-cold water.
- Make sure the milk is chilled and straight out of the fridge.
- Do not blend the coffee for too long after adding milk if you like to enjoy a foamy coffee.
- If you are adding ice cream/whipped cream/chocolate sauce adjust the amount of sugar in the coffee accordingly.
Nutrition
Dahi Vada is a popular Indian Chaat recipe. I am sharing with you a tried and tested traditional vada recipe that will give you the best Punjabi style Dahi Bhalla Chaat each time. Be sure to watch the video!
What is Dahi Vada?
The word ‘Dahi Vada’ literally translates into – lentil fritter in curd. In Indian Cuisine, ‘vada’ is a deep-fried lentil fritter whereas ‘dahi’ is the term for curd.
Dahi Vada is also known as Dahi Bhalla Chaat in Northern India. In some parts of South India, the medu vada served with sweet curd is also known as Dahi Vada.
But when we talk about the Chaat or the street food of India, it is hard to give Dahi Vada a miss. It is one of the quintessential Indian chaat recipes.
The favorite season to make Dahi Bhalla Chaat is the festival of Holi , which is the green signal of the freezing winter season coming to an end, and welcoming spring ( Vasant Ritu ).
The Vada
The vada (bhalla) made from the skinned urad dal (dhuli urad dal) is the key component of this Dahi Vada recipe.
The same dal batter can be used to make South Indian style medu vada . Or following the same procedure with split black urad lentil Kumaoni Style Bada can also be prepared.
The lentil is soaked in water for 5 – 6 hours or overnight so that each grain is plump enough. soaked till each lentil Then grind to a smooth paste. Next, the lentil batter is whipped to incorporate air, and finally, the vada takes shape.
The dal batter seems to have a mind of its own, which most of the time behaves like a disciplined child except on a few bad days when it completely refuses to be in harmony.
Despite the hard work of labor, the final result is worth it – each spoonful of spongy, airy, dahi vada is blissful and soothing for the gustatory cells.
Dahi Bhalla Chaat Toppings
The Punjabi Style Dahi Bhalla Chaat is all about the sweet, spicy, savory toppings that together give you an ultimate mouthfeel of true Indian flavors.
Here are a few of my favorite Dahi Vada toppings:
Sweet Curd: Whisk thick curd, powdered sugar, cumin powder, and a pinch of salt to a smooth, creamy consistency. The chilled curd on top of vada tastes so good.
Green Chutney: A spicy, refreshing mint and coriander chutney is a must topping to balance the sweetness of curd.
Tamarind Chutney: Another essential condiment of a Dahi Bhalla Chaat is sweet tamarind chutney. You can use Date Chutney or any other sweet chutney as well.
Spices: Roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, Chaat Masala are the popular seasoning for dahi vada.
Other Popular Toppings: Pomegranate, fresh coriander, ginger juliennes, sev (namkeen), dahi bhalla masala powder, crushed papdi are a few of the other toppings you can add to your dahi vada chaat.
Watch Dahi Vada Video
My Tried & True Tips
Dal: There is no vada batter possible without soaking the dal.
Batter: Grinding dal batter without using too much water takes patience and practice. For an easy grinding process, stir/mix the batter using a spatula at regular intervals. Do not add more than 2 – 4 tablespoons of water to grind the dal.
Whisk the batter manually for 8 – 10 minutes so that it turns light and fluffy like a cake batter. This step cannot be missed.
Frying: The vada is always fried at medium flame. If fried at a very high flame, the vada remains uncooked from inside whereas, at low flame, they soak a lot of oil.
Fry the vada (bhalla) in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Soaking: The fried vada is soaked in hot water flavored with asafoetida and salt. Soaking vada for 15 – 20 minutes in water makes them spongy, soft, and gives them a mouth-melting texture.
Serving & Storing Suggestion
Dahi Bhalla is served as a starter or side dish.
If you’re expecting company and are planning to serve Dahi Bhalla Chaat, you can prepare a platter a few hours beforehand and keep it in the fridge to chill.
Somehow, I feel, dahi vada tastes best when chilled and not at room temperature.
Regardless of how you serve this dish, it is indeed a delectable one.
Tip: Store leftover fried vada in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 days. Before soaking vada in hot water, reheat them in the microwave for 3 – 5 minutes.
The dahi vada does not have a very long shelf life. Hence, do not leave it at room temperature especially in a hot and humid climate like India for more than 1 – 2 hours.
More Indian Chaat Recipes
- Lobia Chaat
- Matar Chaat
- Aloo Tikki Chaat
- Moong Dal Chaat
- Dahi Papdi Chaat
- Bread Basket Chaat
- Delhi Style Matar Kulcha
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
Ingredients For Vada:
- ▢ 1 cup dhuli white urad dal (split black gram)
- ▢ 1 green chilli, chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
- ▢ 4 tablespoon water
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 4 Cup refined oil, for deep frying
Ingredients For Dahi Bhalla Chaat:
- ▢ 4 Cup lukewarm water, to soak the vada
- ▢ 2 Cup thick yogurt (curd)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoon Sweet Tamarind Chutney
- ▢ 2 tablespoon Coriander & Mint Chutney ( see recipe here )
Other Toppings:
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Chopped coriander
Instructions
How To Make Dal Vada:
- To make a batter for vada, first clean, wash and then soak dal in water for 5 – 6 hours or overnight.
- The next day, transfer the soaked dal to a colander, drain all the water. Let dal sit in the colander for 5 minutes so that all the excess water drains out.
- Transfer dal to the grinder with chopped green chilies and ginger. Grind dal in the mixer without using water, stop mixer in between, stir dal with a spatula and then grind. Keep doing this at regular intervals. If still, dal is not turning into a smooth paste, add 1 – 2 tablespoon of water, then grind. The idea is to use minimum water to grind the dal. Grinding dal usually takes 10 – 15 minutes depending on the mixer.
- Once dal is turned into a smooth paste, transfer to a large bowl. Add salt, asafoetida, turmeric, and whisk batter briskly for 8 – 10 minutes or till it is light and fluffy.
- To deep fry vadas, heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- Using two spoons, shape the batter into a round and gently slide into the hot oil for frying.
- Don’t be in a hurry to turn the vada. Let them turn golden from one side. When the vada turns pale golden from the base and sides, you can turn them. Fry the vadas till they become golden and crisp.
- Transfer fried vadas in a plate lined with paper towels. Once all the vadas are fried, turn off the heat.
Soak the Vada:
- To soak the vada, take 4 cups of lukewarm water in a wide saucepan. Season the water with salt and asafoetida.
- Add the fried vada into the lukewarm water. Give enough space for the vada to breathe, as they tend to expand more in water. If the pan is small add them in small batches. Let the vada soak in water for about 10 minutes or until they turn soft. Squeeze gently and drain out excess water from each vada by gently pressing between your palms. Keep aside in a plate.
Assemble Dahi Bhalla Chaat:
- To assemble the dahi vada, first, take curd in a bowl. Add salt, cumin powder, sugar, and whisk to form a lump free smooth mixture. Adjust the consistency of curd by using little water, if it seems too thick. Taste and add seasoning to your taste.
- Arrange vada in a serving bowl. Pour the flavored curd over the vada, curd should be enough to soak the vada. Top with the green chutney and tamarind chutney as required.
- Sprinkle the red chili powder, cumin powder, chaat masala as per taste.
- Garnish Dahi Vada with chopped coriander leaves. Serve Dahi Bhalla Chaat chilled.
Recipe Notes:
- You can use a hand mixer to whisk the dal batter until fluffy, at medium speed to churn for 5 – 6 minutes. This gives really nice and airy texture to the batter.
- To test, whether the batter is light enough, add a drop of whisked batter in water. If the batter floats then it is fluffy enough, if it sinks to the bottom then it needs more churning.
- If you are not making Chaat immediately. Store vada in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Microwave for 3 – 5 minutes before soaking in lukewarm water to make Chaat.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
