Delhi-Style Cold Coffee

A glass of Delhi-style cold coffee

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 glasses

Ice cold beverages are commonplace all over India. To quench the thirst and cool the temperatures of passers-by, most cafés and definitely many street vendors offer cold caffeinated concoctions. Sometimes closer to shakes than to iced coffees, these delicious beverages are staples in the coffee culture of India. And now a Delhi-style cold coffee can be a staple in your home with just a few ingredients and only 5 minutes of your time. Ideal for a hot summer day, our Delhi-style coffee also makes a great addition to brunches or any meeting for which you need a refreshing alcohol-free beverage. Cream or milk, instant coffee, sugar to taste, and ice are all that it takes to make this great recipe. Serve it for a decadent breakfast, or use it as an afternoon pick-me-up when you're feeling sluggish—because it most definitely will perk you up.

Instant coffee is a great ally in the kitchen. Though many coffee enthusiasts thumb their noses at a container of instant coffee, truth to be told, this amazing powder is a powerhouse of possibilities when it comes to making coffee-forward recipes like ours. Mix it with cold or hot water, milk, ice cream, or yogurt and you'll have a coffee-flavored anything. Add it to muffin or cake batter for a delicious dessert, or sprinkle it in your favorite vanilla cookie dough before baking. Instant coffee is a great enhancer of chocolate flavor, so a touch of it in your brownie or chocolate cake batter will do wonders. Add it to smoothies made of frozen banana and milk or to your oatmeal.

For our recipe, you can use any favorite brand of instant coffee, easily available at all supermarkets. If you like the coffee flavor but don't tolerate the caffeine, use decaffeinated, as the result will be equally delicious. Though the consumption of dairy is very common in Indian cuisine, you can choose any other plant beverage you like to make this preparation. Oat, cashew, and flax milks are great because of their viscosity and texture, but in a pinch almond or soy will work just as well. Use sugar to taste, or add stevia, agave drops, or monk fruit. This is an easily customizable beverage. If you have leftovers in the blender, pour them in popsicle molds to eat at a later time. This iced coffee is an amazing recipe to have at hand. Simply blend and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 glasses whole milk, chilled

  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee

  • Sugar, to taste

  • 1/2 glass crushed ice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make Delhi-style cold coffee

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Put all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until well mixed.

    A blender pitcher filled with Delhi-style cold coffee

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Pour into tall frosted glasses and serve immediately.

    A pitcher of Delhi-style cold coffee pouring into a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
157 Calories
8g Fat
14g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 157
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 107mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 277mg 21%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 323mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)