Six drinks you might not have thought of pairing with Indian food

Asking what to drink with Indian food is a bit like asking what to drink with European food - it’s so incredibly varied - but there are pointers that should hopefully make the decision a bit easier.

3 Things to Consider When Pairing Drinks with Indian Food 

*First of all how hot the food is overall, bearing in mind that not all Indian food is super-spicy. There’s generally a difference between shop-bought dishes which are likely to be milder and ones you might have in a restaurant or make at home. Stands to reason the hotter the food the more cooling you want your drink (which is why lassi works)

*Secondly the basic ingredient, whether that’s meat, fish or veggies. Not as important as the seasoning and the spicing but it does have some effect. As with other type of cuisine think in terms of lighter, fresher drinks with fish and vegetable dishes and more full-flavoured ones with meat

*Thirdly, and not least important, your own preference. Whisky? Fine - no problem - just dilute it a bit more than you would normally. You don’t drink? There are plenty of alcohol-free options these days. I’ve highlighted some wonderful non-alcoholic drink pairings for Indian food below.

Wine, beer, and other drink pairings for Indian food

1. Beers that that are not lager

Although for many the automatic match for Indian food would be lager I find a beer with more flavour works better, particularly a well-hopped pale ale or IPA. But maybe I’m not being adventurous enough. Mark Dredge recommends a hefeweizen with jalfrezi and a brown ale or dunkel with a lamb korma in his book Beer and Food. And a pils is certainly good with snack food like samosas and bhajis - and with currywurst though I’m not sure that really counts.

2. Cider

Maybe you don’t associate cider with curry but try it. To my mind it goes best with a medium-dry cider - you need a touch of sweetness with most dishes but with milder fish and veggie curries it can be incredibly refreshing.

3. Wines that go surprisingly well with Indian food

Aromatic wines such as riesling, pinot gris and gewürztraminer are generally considered the ideal wines to pair with Indian food but they’re not the only game in town.

Sauvignon blanc

particularly with lighter, less heavily sauced dishes that are that include green chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander. See this recent match of the week of Indian veggie food and sauvignon blanc which highlighted how good it was with paneer with spinach

Chardonnay

Especially with dishes with a creamy or buttery sauce like butter chicken. (Here’s Vivek Singh’s recipe)

Red wine

Red wine wouldn’t be my automatic go to for Indian food but medium to full-bodied reds like malbec and rioja generally work with Indian meat dishes the same way they do from those from other culinary traditions especially lamb ones like rogan josh or marinated whole leg of lamb (raan). They can also work with Indian spiced game like this dish of tandoori-spiced grouse with a Tuscan-style Indian red.

Lighter reds such as Beaujolais and other gamays can also go surprisingly well with spicy vegetarian dishes as I discovered recently (scroll down for the reference).

Rosé

Rosé pairs remarkably well with a range of Indian dishes though I’d go for the deeper-coloured Spanish rosados, or fruitier pinot noir-based ones rather than the pale Provençal style (unless your curry is quite mild). Particularly good with chicken tikka masala

Sparkling wine - even champagne!

Not so much with curries but sparkling wines are great with Indian snacks like samosas, bhajis and pakoras. As they are with other crisp or deep-fried foods. If champagne seems a bit extravagant choose cava or crémant.

And if it’s particularly wine you’re looking to pair with curry here are my top 5 picks

4. Whisky (especially Indian whisky!)

A drink that’s well appreciated on the Indian sub-continent so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it goes with Indian food. Two tips though - first of all you can - and should - dilute it, probably quite a bit more than you’re used to and secondly try the younger styles of whisky that are becoming popular including the Indian whiskies (there are 33 at the time of writing on the Whisky Exchange website). Younger English whiskies such as Cotswold Whisky’s single malt whisky would be good too.

See also Pairing Whisky with Indian Food

5. Cocktails

You might not think of pairing cocktails with Indian food but modern Indian restaurants often have a great cocktail list, and many Indian cookbooks suggest cocktails that are designed to go with their recipes like Dishoom’s delicious East India gimlet (gin and lime). Or make a gin and tonic with a twist like Gymkhana’s House pink gin and tonic.

6. Mango soda, kombucha and other new alcohol-free drinks

India, of course is a predominantly teetotal nation but there are so many great alcohol-free drinks now that it’s easier than ever to find a good match - at home, if not in a restaurant, where options are often quite limited. Mango is still my favourite flavour - the Manchester brewery Cloudwater does a delicious mango soda or make your own mango lassi with equal quantities of canned mango pulp and yoghurt or kefir (and a splash of water). Kombucha pairs well with lighter veggie curries too. And obviously alcohol-free beers and ciders do the same job as categories 1 and 2.

What sort of drinks do you enjoy with Indian food? Anything I haven’t covered here?

For more thinking on matching wine with Indian food read how to pair wine with an authentic Indian meal

Top photo by Natalia Lisovskaya, middle photo by Magdanatka, both at shutterstock.com

10 food pairings for peaty whiskies

Following my trip to Islay a while ago I drew up some pairings for its extraordinary peaty whiskies. I’m not a great one for whisky dinners but I like the idea of serving tapa-sized dishes with a dram.

Many of these are untried but here are some of the flavours and ingredients I think would work with whiskies such as Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.

1. Roquefort
Must kick off with a classic. Read this match of the week for the reason why

2. Mutton or rare breed lamb
A pairing that’s closer to home. Islay almost certainly has more sheep than people and the lamb has the same sort of rich, aromatic flavour as salt marsh lamb. In miniaturised terms I’d be thinking of mutton pies or a not-too-spicy lamb samosa.

3. Middle eastern style lamb meatballs or kofte
Similar thinking with a touch of spice

4. Char siu, barbecued or pulled pork
It would heighten the smokey barbecued effect deliciously, I think, and could deal with the sweetness of a marinade

5. Smoked reindeer or venison
Scandinavians are great fans of Islay whiskies, I hear, and I’m sure would love smoked meats like reindeer or venison with them - maybe as a part of a tailormade smorgasbord selection

6. Teriyaki salmon
Again a speculative pairing but I reckon cubes or skewers of teriyaki salmon would work really well

7. Kipper quiche or paté
You’re not going to want to drink whisky with your kippers (I would hope) but in a tartlet or mixed with cream or cream cheese in a paté I’m sure it would work.

8. Charred or roast aubergines
There’s got to be a veggie pairing for peaty whisky and my money’s on aubergine - most likely in the form of the middle eastern spread baba ganoush.

9. Kitcheree
The authentic Indian version with lentils rather than the anglicised one with smoked haddock. Served as a rice bowl.

10. Plain, dark chocolate - at least 70%
Pretty good with blended whisky - bound to be good with a peaty one.

And one for luck: Maltesers! I was originally tipped off by someone who works at Lagavulin and then tried it for myself. It's weirdly moreish - you have to try it for yourself!

Photo by Scott Jessiman Photo at shutterstock.com

Which whisky pairs best with haggis?

Given that whisky is generally considered the most appropriate match for haggis I thought it would be interesting to check out what Britain’s top whisky experts have to recommend for Burns Night:

Dave Broom - whisky writer
"The best, by some distance, is Talisker 10 y o. It's the pepperiness on the finish of the whisky that gives the flavour bridge, the oatmeal in the haggis gives a malty note to a whisky which doesn't usually display this, the sweetness of the dram offsets the gaminess of the haggis (adding complexity) while the smoke in the whisky adds another dimension to the whole dish. Runner up for me is Highland Park 12yo."

Charlie Maclean - author of Whisky: a liquid history, www.whiskymax.co.uk
My favourite, without a doubt, is Talisker 10 y o - because it's sweet and lightly smoky, then spicy in the finish. Pour it on (anoint) the haggis or drink alongside.

Photo by @stockcreations at shutterstock.com

Marcin Miller - whisky commentator
I like the taste of haggis and prefer it enhanced by whisky rather than overpowered by it. So I'd go for an elegant blend like Cutty Sark or perhaps BNJ (Bailie Nicol Jarvie) I'd keep the malt for drinking alongside! Similar thinking applies if you are set on using malt to pour over the haggis. I wouldn't opt for anything too phenolic and would go for Highland Park (a nice balance of peat and sweet) or, of course, The Glenrothes (classic Speyside with great structure and mouthfeel).

Neil Ridley - whisky blogger, caskstrength.net
Whisky and haggis should, in theory, be a wonderful marriage of Highland flavour but it is easy to go too far with the whisky. I used to use Laphroaig 10 yo but it was just too peaty to match and overpowered the food in my opinion.

The whisky needs to work with the following: the haggis itself, that delicious meaty gravy, earthy buttery turnips and sweet, flowery swede.I'd suggest these whiskies off the top of my head:

• Ardbeg Uigeadail- sherried and not too heavily peated - a very hearty whisky. Also some of the older bottlings from the 70's would be excellent, less peated but they are very expensive!
• Older Clynelish/Brora. These have really meaty/gamey notes which should work well.
• 2 yo Cragganmore
• Highland Park 18- very honeyed, rich and peppery but should work with the 'Neeps and Tatties' and the rich gravy.
• Karuizawa single casks- The bottlings done by No. One Drinks Co. from the 70's /1980's have that earthy, outdoor feel of wild mushrooms and forest floor freshness. Might be sacrilege to match a Japanese whisky with a Scottish national dish though!!

Gavin D Smith - www.whisky-pages.com
I am a fan of the Skye malt Talisker with haggis, but some of the bigger, sherried Speysiders also work well for me - whiskies like Aberlour and Glenfarclas and The Macallan. The sweetness provides a nice contrast with the spicy and peppery character of the dish.

Stuart Bale, assistant bar manager, Albannach, London.
The Glenlivet 18 year old. The hint of spice and slightly nutty finish works really well with the meaty and peppery flavours of the haggis.

What to pair with artisanal cheddar?

By artisanal cheddar, I mean cheddar that is mature, full-flavoured, and unpasteurised (learn more in this post: So what makes a great cheddar?). It isn't the easiest cheese to match with wine.

One’s instinct is to drink red but it’s a struggle. You don’t want anything too light and graceful or, conversely, too full-bodied and tannic. There can be some wild flavours in a cheese like this which I think are best matched by an equally artisanal wine - and old Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache or Mourvèdre, maybe - or a blend of all three. Or a good Zinfandel. But don’t introduce blues or smelly washed-rind cheeses to the cheeseboard as well.

Vintage port is surprisingly - or not so surprisingly - good as we confirmed at a cheese and wine tasting I conducted for Decanter last year. One associates it more with stilton but it’s equally good with a fine cheddar. But it’s not the type of wine to open with a ploughman’s or other light lunch.

That distinction goes to a traditional British ale which I’m not sure isn’t the best pairing for this kind of cheese, especially if you serve it with an onion pickle or a chutney. Something like Adnams Broadside or Young’s Special. If you find British beers too bitter a sweeter-flavoured American IPA may be more to your taste, being a classic example.

If you’re looking for a terroir-based match a farmhouse cider would be the obvious choice for an authentic Somerset cheddar, especially if you serve it with apples or an apple chutney. Personally I prefer a medium-dry style but that’s up to you.

Apple-based aperitifs or digestifs such as Pommeau and Pomona which is made by the Somerset Cider Brandy Company can also work very well. Obviously they’re more alcoholic than cider but you could serve them instead of port for after dinner drinking.

Other possibilities, less mainstream: a full-bodied oaked Chardonnay pairs surprisingly well with cheddar as does a good rich whisky like The Macallan or Famous Grouse. Sherry can also work well particularly if you serve your cheddar with nuts - I’d choose something like a palo cortado. Other possibilities would be a medium-dry Madeira or a 10 - or 20 - year old tawny port.

See also: The Best Wine Pairings for Cheddar Cheese

Image by SplitShire from Pixabay