Malaysian

Ipoh White Coffee

Name: Ipoh White Coffee
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 5 tbsp medium-roast ground coffee, medium-fine grind; 10 g butter or palm-oil margarine; 350 ml water, just off the boil; 60 ml (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk; 30 ml evaporated milk

Toast ground coffee in a little butter, brew it strong, then mix with condensed and evaporated milk and pull or whisk it until foamy; 15 minutes for 2 cups.

Ipoh white coffee is the creamy, mellow coffee of Ipoh's old kopitiams. The beans are traditionally roasted with palm-oil margarine, which gives a smooth, buttery cup with less bitterness than dark kopi, and it is always served with sweetened condensed milk and a thick foam. This home version toasts ground coffee in a little butter before brewing to get close to that roast.

Frothy Ipoh white coffee in a white cup and saucer with a spoon, next to a small stainless steel jug

Serves 2
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 15 min

Start cooking mode

Ingredients

5 tbsp medium-roast ground coffee, medium-fine grind
10 g butter or palm-oil margarine
350 ml water, just off the boil
60 ml (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
30 ml evaporated milk

Method

Melt the butter in a small frying pan over low heat. Add the ground coffee and stir for 1 minute until it smells toasty and has absorbed the butter. Do not let it darken.
Tip the coffee into a coffee sock, filter cone or cafetière. Pour over the hot water and let it brew for 4 minutes, then strain or press. You should have about 300 ml of strong coffee.
Put the condensed milk and evaporated milk in a heatproof jug, pour in the hot coffee and stir until smooth.
Pour the coffee back and forth between two jugs 5–6 times, or whisk hard for 30 seconds, until a thick foam forms on top.
Pour into 2 cups with the foam on top and serve hot.

Tips

Iced white coffee (kopi putih ais): make the coffee as above, cool it for 5 minutes, then pour over a glass full of ice.
Sweetness: add the condensed milk a little at a time; some like it with 40 ml for a stronger coffee taste.
Ready-roasted beans: if you can buy Ipoh-style white coffee beans, skip step 1 and brew 5 tbsp of them, ground, as in step 2.
Caffeine: one cup is roughly as strong as a regular cup of brewed coffee.

Questions

Why is it called white coffee?

It refers to the lighter roast. The beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine instead of the sugar and dark roast of regular kopi, which gives a paler, smoother cup.

Can I make white coffee with instant coffee?

Yes, for a quick version: dissolve 2 tbsp instant coffee in 300 ml hot water and continue from step 3. It will lack the buttery roast flavour.

How do I make iced white coffee?

Make the coffee as usual, let it cool for a few minutes and pour it over a glass full of ice.

Is this Ipoh white coffee halal?

The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: check that the butter or margarine and the condensed and evaporated milk carry halal certification.

A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.