Coffee isn’t just a drink, but a way of life in Vietnam. After all, it’s the second largest exporter of coffee in the world! Coffee culture is very big amongst the locals and you’ll find the streets littered with many bustling coffee shops. Vietnamese coffee is traditionally made in a phin, a French inspired filter. In fact, it was the French that introduced coffee and coffee culture in the country. The bitterness of the coffee is balanced with the sweetness of condensed milk. Fresh milk wasn’t always easy to come by and sweetened condensed milk became the easy alternative. It had a long shelf life and is now an essential component of Vietnamese coffee.
This Vietnamese Coffee Smoothie takes elements of the classic and gives it a fun smoothie twist. Much like the original, this is iced and tastes best when cold! If you have a phin, by all means use it, but a French Press, South Indian Filter and even instant coffee works just as well!
EQUIPMENT
The hallmark of a good cold coffee (or smoothie in this case) is the thickness you get while blending. That’s why I love the Nutri-blend. It’s fast, effective and oh-so-easy to use. If I’m making smoothies for one or two people I can use the 500ml blender jar but I love that the Nutri-blend comes with a large juicer jar for bigger quantities. Just replace the compact base and you’re good to go. The blender also takes up minimal space on my countertop which is always an added advantage.
One of the hallmarks of the Nutri-blend is the hands free operation it allows. Gone are the days of having to place your hands on the top and the base of the mixer to avoid messy accidents. Just fill your mixer jars, screw on the blending blade base, upturn it onto the machine, twist and push down. Just as easy as it is to use, cleaning it is even easier. The jars are made of unbreakable polycarbonate which means that it will last you for quite some time!
This smoothie is a great alternative to your morning cup of coffee, especially in the hot summer months. I like the flavour of coconut milk but you can substitute it with your milk of choice. If you’re a fan of cold coffee you’ll love this smoothie with its strong coffee flavour and hint of banana.
RECIPE CARD
Serves: 2
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Coconut Cream
- ¼ cup Condensed Milk
- ½ cup Strong Drip Coffee or ½ tbsp instant coffee powder in ½ cup hot water
- ½ Banana
- 1 cup Ice
Method:
- Brew strong coffee in a drip filter and allow it to cool. If you don’t have a filter you can use instant coffee powder as well.
- Add the banana, cooled coffee, coconut cream, ice and condensed milk in that order to the Nutri-blend blender jar and blend till smooth.
- Serve.
Author: Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen.
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