Sriram Dharani Babu, co-founder of Coffee Shastra, patiently guides me as I try my hand at making my own coffee decoction. He instructs me to take a handful of beans and put it into the filter coffee vending machine, which uses a burr grinder. Once the beans are ground, they are passed on to the extraction chamber, where around 20 bar pressure is applied, resulting in a fragrant dark-brown decoction that is collected in a cup. “Except for putting the beans into the container, you don’t have much to do; the machine takes care of everything,” smiles Babu.
A haven for coffee connoisseurs, Coffee Shastra on Bazullah Road threw open its doors last month, with an inviting aroma of filter coffee and tea. The brainchild of Babu, Ashok Kumar, Raja Elumalai and Muthu Kumaran, Coffee Shastra takes its coffee very seriously. So much so, that the beverage is specially served in a vacuum-insulated container that comes with a copper and stainless steel chamber. “It helps the coffee to retain its heat, and lets you hold the cup comfortably. Copper reacts with the coffee and enhances the flavours, giving it medicinal values,” explains Babu.
It is their authentic filter coffee that is made minus the chicory that has been winning hearts. Even their tea is made with a combination of tea leaves and dust. However, the winner during the hot summer months is the cold filter coffee, which is neither too sweet nor bitter. “This is made with the filter coffee decoction. We grind the beans fresh every morning, before mixing the decoction with a special grade of sugar, sourced from Uttar Pradesh; this is not as sweet as the ones available in the market,” explains Babu.
The outlet also offers a variety of chais under the brand name Chai Shastra. The masala chai for instance, has as many as 10 masalas . “We consulted many nutritionists and researched about their medicinal purposes before we chose the spices,” he says.
The space has already won quite a few hearts and has its own bunch of regulars. “For instance, there is a jogger, who comes every day at 6.40 am and returns at 7 am to have his next shot. We also get loving and stern advice from some. One client firmly told us: ‘If you are planning to introduce chicory in your coffee, I am going to stop coming here’,” smiles Elumalai.
Coffee Shastra will also start selling freshly-ground coffee powder soon, says Babu. “The coffee powder should be used up within two or three days; if left lying open, it will absorb the surrounding odours. A lot goes into making good coffee — right from the place it is grown and nurtured, to the way it is ground, roasted and served. Coffee brewing is a science.”
Coffee Shastra is open from 6 am to 8 pm.
