Who would think of quaffing wine with perennial vegetarian favourite snacks like samosas, chana bhatura, pao bhaji and ragda pattiesIJ Chef Michael Swamy offers you a few good options which will give traditional nimbu paani and lassi some serious competition
There is no real tradition of pairing wine with Indian foods. However, with easier access to wine in India and changing tastes and aspirations of diners, experimenting with different wines to complement traditional Indian dishes is becoming a new gastronomic adventure. It will, however, always be a matter of personal taste and preference, and the old latin adage, degustibus non est disputandum or ‘taste cannot be disputed’ will always trump any diktats on the subject.
Having said that, here are a few tips you may find useful when you pair specific Indian food with wines.
Fat____
Dishes or foods which are high in fat or have a very creamy texture would do well with a wine rich in tannins like red wines, which cut the fat, or high in acid, which balances the grease or creaminess, or matches the richness of the dish with a higher level of alcohol. Sparkling wines can give an aerated lift to a creamy dish, the acidity also providing a welcome contrast. Just remember that cream or fat can flatten a wine so choose one that has enough body to stand up to it.
SPICE____
Indian food is synonymous with spice so wines have to be able to complement a single spice or stand up to the complex web of spices that make up a dish. Wines which are low in acid and have light fruity flavours go well with most Indian dishes. Sparkling, white and rosé wines do particularly well, especially if they do not themselves possess overtly spicy notes that may clash with the spices in the dish. Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are obvious choices as they mellow the spiciness. Remember, the alcohol in wine tends to increase the spiciness of a dish so choose wisely.
ACID____
The acid in wines should mimic the level of acid in a dish. An acidic white wine like Sauvignon Blanc is like a fresh burst of lemon sprinkled on a dish. Avoid acidic wines with very tart or sour dishes, and remember that mouth-puckering foods are sure to kill a good wine.
SAlT____
Sparkling wines are the perfect foil for the overly salted snacks so loved by most people. Nuts, crisps and namkeens before dinner cry out for a fresh beverage that will wash down all that salt, leaving a clean, lively palate.
Sweet____
When it comes in desserts and sweets, just remember — sweets for the sweet! Avoid acidic wines which will ruin a great dessert. Choose a luscious, sweet wine which will actually be sweeter than the dessert, for anything less will be a waste of the wine and the dessert. Dark chocolate desserts cry out for a honey-flavoured wine, and most Indian mithai will go well with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache.
APPETISERS, SNACKS AND STARTERS____
Savoury appetisers and small snacks have a number of options that will complement their salty; spicy flavours. The favourites, however, are Chenin Blanc, sparkling wines, champagne and a light Sauvignon Blanc.
Chaat____
Nothing will add more zing to a plate of crisp tangy chaat than a sparkling wine or a dry white wine like Chenin Blanc. The bubbles will contrast well with the texture of the crisp puris and the sweet and spicy chutneys in a bhelpuri or sevpuri. For chaats in yoghurt (dahi chaat), a fresh Riesling may hit just the right note.
SOUTH INDIAN SNACKS____
You probably didn’t know this: everybody’s favourite snack, the dosa, and its more thickset cousin, the uttapam, go best with Champagne! Effervescent, clean-tasting Champagne has the perfect acidit and bubbles to provide texture and a pleasing contrast.
Sauvignon Blanc is another good choice as its young, bright flavour with hints of lemon pairs well with the robust, tangy sambhar that accompanies these dishes. You could also try a sweetish red wine or a rose with dosas and crisp meduvadas, as they will balance out the flavours of the spicy chutneys.
KEBABS____
There is no secret here: tandoori fish and chicken kebabs have a natural affinity for white wines. Try Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. Rosé wines give tandoori foods and all manner of kebabs a lift, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are known to pair well with hearty tandoori seekh and burra kebabs, especially with a tandoor roti or naan on the side.
VEGETARIAN SNACKS____
Who would think of quaffing wine with perennial vegetarian favourite snacks like samosas, chana bhatura, pao bhaji and ragda pattiesIJ Surprisingly, there are a few good options which will give traditional nimbu paani and lassi some serious competition. Samosas, with their rich, flaky pastry and dense potato and pea filling, and flaky puffs filled with rich, meaty or vegetable fiffings deserve a sparkling wine to cut through the many layers of flavour and texture. A medium-dry Chenin Blanc would also do the trick and so would a full-bodied Chardonnay; which would stand up to the heft of these filling snacks.
SAlADS____
A bowl of crisp salad greens beckons a Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. Chaat-flavoured salads, koshimbirs and kachumbers will do well with either. However, raitas with creamy yoghurt may do better with a slightly sweet Riesling, especially if they accompany a rich biryani.
VEGETABlES____
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and sparkling wines are the best bet for almost all Indian vegetables cooked in the everyday style with minimum spice. The clean flavours of these wines will not overpower simply spiced foogaths, palyas, thorans and poriyals of any vegetable, barring a few.
Think of luscious, fruity Viognier to enhance aviyal and other light coconut vegetable curries and creamy vegetable stews. And when you want a wine that will stand up to rugged potatoes and other tubers, look to the sturdy, full-bodied shiraz.
lENTIlS AND lEGUMES____
Simple lentils or dals require a simple wine to partner — think Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc, or even a light rose.
The richer dal dishes, like dal makhani, however, demand more full-bodied wines like an unoaked Chardonnay or a fruity Viogniet. But for the iconic dal bukhara, you may want to open a bottle of Shiraz to complement the dal and its spicy fruitiness.
For a punchy chana masala, look to a rosé or light red wine which will put out some of the fires without dousing the flavour.
PANEER____
Indian cottage cheese or paneer is for the most part bland and readily absorbs the flavours it is steeped in. Unlike aged cheese, it does not have any strong flavours which react to or interfere with the taste of wine.
Paneer tikka paired with a grassy, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc to complement its tangy flavours is a winner.Paneer makhani, with its buttery, lightly spiced creamy tomato sauce, has so many layers of flavour and texture that only a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling will do it justice.
Palak paneer, on the other hand, would do better with a Chardonnay or Merlot, whose sweetness would counteract the bitterness of the spinach.
SEAFOOD____
Platters of crisp pepper prawns, bombil fry; squid Koliwada, Amritsari machhi and fish tikkas cry out for a crisp, sparkling wine, dry Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc with hints of citrus that act like a squeeze of lemon on the crisp fishy bite.
Nothing goes better with a creamy coconut fish or prawn curry than Viognier, which also complements lobster, mussels or clams in a curried sauce.
For steamed, banana leaf-wrapped fish classics like patra ni machhi, karimeen polichatthu or Bengali ilish machher paturi, plump for Chenin Blanc and you will not be sorry.
For spicier fish curries like the sour-hot Goan fish ambotik or Bengali machher jhol, try a rosé to cool down the flavours. Crab in a buttery pepper and garlic sauce is a delight paired with a rich Chardonnay; while fiery crab masala demands a cooling, sparkling Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc.
CHICKEN____
Everybody has a favourite wine that goes with tandoori chicken. White wines like Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Voignier and Riesling make for great partners, as do red wines like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The variety speaks to the versatility of the dish and the complex flavours that one or the other wine highlights or rounds off.
For creamy butter chicken, however, only a rich, fruity Malbec or a velvety Chardonnay will do. Try a Shiraz with a piquant/kadhai chicken or chicken shagoti to mellow the spices.
MEAT____
Red wines are a natural foil for meat dishes and you will never really go wrong with choosing a red wine to go with an Indian meat dish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz with their full-bodied fruity flavours are particularly good with a traditional mutton do pyaaza, pathar ka gosht orrogan josh. The same goes for a hearty raan as the tannins in the wine will pair well with the protein and texture of the meat.
For a vinegary pork or beef vindaloo, choose a rosé which will tone down the acid. A light red wine is the answer for light lamb korma. Spicy pork dishes benefit from full-bodied red wines which stand up to the fat and temper the spice with their sweetness.
BIRYANI AND PUlAOS____
Spicy and aromatic biryanis and pulaos deserve wines that complement their strong flavours and fragrances. Full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir would do justice to a rich mutton biryani, standing up to its richness and rounding off the spicy notes.
For a more delicate prawn or mushroom pulao, try a chilled sparkling wine or white wine that would enhance the soothing flavours and textures of the pulao.
DESSERTS____
Drinking wine with Indian desserts seems almost sacrilegious. The tooth-achingly sweet, syrupy confections do not seem to need anything else to enhance their enjoyment. But if you want to keep the party and pairing going, perhaps a sweet late harvest Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay or Port will wash down those gulab jamuns and do the trick. For less sweet sweets like sandesh, bebinca and lagan nu custard, perhaps a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot will provide a fine accompaniment. Just remember the rule of thumb — the wine must be sweeter than the dessert — which seems almost impossible when it comes to Indian sweets!
(Excerpts from Easy Guide to Pairing Indian Food and Wine with the permission of Om Books)