Disco Coffee | How To Make A Layered Coffee

Disco Coffee, also known as dancing coffee or layered coffee is a special and one of the most beautiful ways of serving coffee.

I have presented it two ways - with and without froth. Choose the way you love.

New to Disco Coffee? Then check this video first, and then come back and read below!!!!!

During my childhood days, I still remember if anybody was traveling to Bangalore through the National Highway 48, people would recommend trying this style of tea or coffee at Hotel Laxmi Nivas. If you visit Kalladka, don't miss KT or Kadak Tea or Kalladka Tea. Now it is served in and around different places in the Mangalore region of Karnataka, India and it is now also called disco coffee or disco tea. This coffee is also sometimes referred to as Rim Jhim coffee, and the anecdote is that a hotel patron experienced an ecstatic or jhummm feeling (goosebumps) upon drinking this coffee :).

What is KT, Kalladka Tea, or Coffee?

A typical local old-fashioned glass with tea or coffee decoction swirling on top of milk, and the glass sitting inside a steel bowl with a spoon placed beside it. The more traditional and authentic version has a layer of milk froth on top.

Why is this called disco coffee or disco tea?

Check out the video to find out if you have not done it already. The first half to three fourth of the glass is filled with milk (usually sweetened) and when the decoction (black tea or black coffee) is poured carefully onto the spoon placed on top of milk you see the dancing of the coffee or tea decoction which then slowly starts floating on top of the milk and hence the name.

I am Coffeeholic!!!!

Read this section only to know more about me. Else simply skip this, go ahead and prepare your cup of coffee, and have a relaxing time with your loved ones!!

People who know me in and out, and who are reading this post, would definitely be smiling, knowing how much I love tea and coffee. They call me coffee and/or teapot. Yes, I am. Any time of the day or night I am always ready for a cup of tea or coffee.

If I am happy, sad, stressed, tired - for all emotions all I need is not just a warm but a very hot cup of coffee or tea.

And when I say coffee or tea it is not that green tea, herbal tea, lemon tea or black coffee, or anything new that is in the market. In this matter, I am pakka local and pakka Indian (pakka means pure). Milk-based coffee or tea is what I love.

I always find it romantic and cute to drink coffee or tea in a glass rather than a cup 🙂 This was something that I missed when I was in the USA. When I was pregnant, I had this really strange craving for drinking coffee or tea in a glass. So we specially bought a few glasses, and I started drinking in the glass when I had all those strange cravings.

Whenever I visited India, I made sure I definitely had two things - one was tea and/or coffee in glass and the second one was street-side pani puri (golgappa).

This week I was really missing disco coffee. However, due to the lockdown, we could not have this at any local restaurants. Therefore, I decided to experiment and prepare disco coffee at home. It is really good if you have a scientist at home. He made my task easier.

When I asked him how it may be done, he explained to me the science behind layered coffee

• Two fluids with different densities will create those layers. One with higher density should be at the bottom, and the lower one at the top.
• The second factor is the temperature of the liquid (note, temperature also controls fluid density) - a liquid that is relatively less hot should be at the bottom (in this case, milk), and the hotter liquid (tea or coffee decoction) on top.

Layers form better depending on the speed of your pour, the height of the glass, and the ratio of coffee decoction to milk.

And my disco coffee or KT was ready in no time. You really don't need a frother or frothy foamy milk to make this one. Plain milk is sufficient.

How to make disco coffee or a layered latte at home?

Heat milk in a pan. Adding sugar or not is totally optional. Either add sugar while boiling milk or serve sugar on the side with coffee or tea later.

To make frothy coffee:

If you are looking for a foamy or frothy top, then pour the milk to and fro between two glasses until the foam or bubbles or froth is formed (for about 20 to 30 seconds). Keep this aside. Alternatively, use the frother available in any coffee or espresso machine.

Heat water in a separate pan and when it comes to a boil add instant coffee powder and switch off the flame. The amount of coffee powder you add is again going to be as per your taste.

Black tea decoction can be prepared by adding tea leaves or tea powder to boiling water and letting it simmer or steep for 2 minutes.

Here comes the magic!!

Keep your serving glasses ready. Depending on how strong or light you love your coffee, fill half to three fourth of each glass with milk. Now place a spoon on top of the milk layer and pour the hot coffee or tea decoction. The poured coffee then slowly overflows from the spoon and comes in contact with the top of the milk causing the two layers to seiche or oscillate. The decoction being hotter and thus less dense than milk enables it to float until its equilibrium is disturbed. Serve it with a side of sugar and a spoon to mix.

With monsoon or heavy rains in and around Mangalore and with the lockdown entering the 5th week now, if you are missing KT or disco coffee you now know how simple it is to prepare this at home.

Prepare your cup of coffee or tea and serve it with any of these

• SPICY BATATA VADA
• CRISPY ONION RINGS
• BANANA CHIPS
• SABUDANA FRIES
• DONUTS
• COOKIES
• or as simple as rusk or toast, benne butter, or some biscuits.

Last year, I remember how Korean Dalgona coffee went viral. Even we tried this quarantine coffee at home. It was definitely a visual treat but nothing can beat pakka local disco coffee both in beauty and taste.

If you try this, which I am sure you are going to :-), don't forget to tag me on Instagram with #cookwithkushi #discocoffee so that I get a chance to see your beautiful creations.

Detailed recipe for Disco Coffee | How to make a layered coffee

Recipe card

If you like this Layered Coffee or Disco Coffee or Layered Latte

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