December-January used to be the time when aunts and cousins used to visit us. Since they stayed in cold hilly Himachal, (and we in the northern plains) their school used to conduct the exams in early December, before the snow fall began. While we used to be in the midst of preparing for our exams, they would be enjoying their long winter vacations at our place. Cold nights spent huddled in the quilt, listening to my Bua’s (paternal Aunt) stories about her various excursions to some very interesting and remote places and her rendezvous with some fascinating and funny people, used to keep me glued despite being in the midst of prepping for my school annual exams. I guess more than the stories it was her inimitable style of storytelling that used to keep me indulged, entertained and hooked to her every single word. I used to wish that these sessions would never end. It felt like being transported to all those places and experiencing all those adventures simply through her narration.
The post dinner sessions were followed by cracking and munching on roasted peanuts with jaggery, later followed by coffee. Mum would ‘whip up’ coffee and we would be all ears listening to her anecdotes and forgetting all about the biting cold (mind you there is no such thing as internal heating system in India). Great company, clubbed with a hot cup of coffee and I used to love these tête-à-tête sessions…always looked forward to them actually.
I miss those times sooo much; the company, the stories, the coffee and my late mother. Whenever I make this coffee, the aromas hit me with nostalgia and as if on a cue, I close my eyes, inhale deeply (the aromas) and get instantly transported back in time. I can no longer have hot coffee since it affects my health adversely and aromas are all that is left for me but the memories are still fresh and as strong, just as the coffee 🙂 Those were the days ♥♥♥ (way before the Dalgona coffee craze hit the world)
3 tbsp Instant Coffee
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp Water
500 ml Milk ( (more if required) Dairy or Non dairy
Mix the coffee and sugar in a sturdy mug. Begin to whisk using a spoon till the coffee becomes light, airy and pale in colour. (The sugar should be nearly dissolved)
Add one to one and a half tablespoon of whipped coffee in two coffee mugs.
Heat milk and bring to boil. Pour the milk, three fourth full, in each mug and gently stir it.
Taste and add more coffee, sugar or milk to adjust to your preferred taste.
Dust with drinking chocolate or cocoa powder. Your cuppa is ready…Enjoy!
Note – I used a hand whisk to whip the coffee. Not only does it save time but also effort.
Note – Store the leftover whipped coffee in a bottle, inside the fridge, and use it within a week / ten days.
Serves 2 – 3
Thank you so much for your visit and see you soon again with another exciting recipe!