Alexa, set a timer for seven minutes

It is dawn already. Stepping out of bed seems like a task. I convince myself of the rewards of getting out and the tiny experiments I can do.

I walk myself to the kitchen, fill the kettle with water and turn it on. I then pick up the coffee container and open it. The aroma of coffee with Malabar spices fills the room. I add a scoop of the coarse coffee powder to the French press and gently pour hot water on top of it.

"Alexa, set a timer for seven minutes," I say.

I'm struck by the thought of how my great-grandmother used to add ghee to her coffee. She believed it was the best way to experience good coffee. She called it Kaapi. Nei Kattan Kaapi.

Wouldn't the coffee lose its flavour? Anything added to coffee ruins it, doesn't it? Chicory, sugar, milk, all of them ruin my coffee. Wait, I can't decide for myself before tasting it, right?

My fleeting thoughts are interrupted by Alexa. I decide to perform the first tiny experiment for the day. This could ruin the rest of my day. I am prepared to take that risk.

I add a drop of desi ghee to my black mug and pour the coffee. When the coffee hits the ghee, a thin film of gold spreads across the surface, giving a nutty, sweet, spicy aroma. When they meet my taste buds, I finally understand my great-grandmother.