Kahwah Saa'dah.........middle Eastern Special Occasion Coffee

chef FIFI's Note:

The term Kahwah Saadah means "black coffee", which means no sugar added. This coffee is "only" made from light roast coffee beans and has to be coarsely grounded and is not the same as Turkish coffee, this is has a stronger cardamom flavor, but lighter texture.I believe this coffee originated from Saudi Arabia. This coffee is usually made for special occasions such as Eid or funerals. This is usually placed in carafes to keep hot all day and served in specific cups with no handles.Even though this coffee is lighter in texture it is considered to be even stronger than Turkish coffee so it is served in small portions. I usually add sugar to my cup, just because I dont like black coffee.

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 carafes

• 1 cup light roast ground coffee (coarsely ground)
• ¾ cup green cardamom pods
• 13 ½ water cup water
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle and hit several times to open pods.
2. Place pods in a medium pot over a medium heat and let the pods "roast" for approximately 1 minute. This will release the flavor and aroma.
3. Then add water and coffee to the pot and let boil for about 7-10 minutes.
4. Strain the coffee and place in a carafe to keep hot.
5. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Mirj]

Boy, did this wake me up this morning! Here in Israel I can buy Turkish ground coffee with cardamom already mixed in, right in the supermarket. But I always have cardamom pods in the house, so I decided to try the homemade version myself. I only made a quarter of the recipe as I'm really the only one in the house who drinks coffee. I ground the coffee beans (a local blend, very strong) and went at the pods with my mortar and pestle. The smell of the cardamom roasting in the pan was heavenly! I had a cup of this first thing in the morning, very sweet as is the local custom here. The rest I took to the office to keep me going throughout the day. Thanks for the experience, Fifi, and Ramadan kareem!