While most of us know that whisky can be used as marinades for grills and in the preparation of desserts, Sandeep Arora, a whisky sommelier, tells Samiksha Raj that the drink can be used to make dough for rotis
Gristy and grapey Balvenie was served with Jalandhari seekh and paneer ajwaini tikka. Fresh and fragrant Talisker was served with sarron da sole tikka and tandoori ananas anardana. And Dalmore with safed chane da kebab and the aromatic Highland Park with subz pudina seekh. These were the novel offerings at Singh Sahib (Eros Hotel New Delhi) in a musical evening that was all about the pairing of whisky with cuisine from Punjab and lahore.
India has a very large whisky market and we are especially known for very high-end whisky consumption. Over the last decade or so, people are looking to indulge in more whisky experiences. They don’t only want to drink, but drink well. “Eating and drinking always go hand-in-hand. But the change that has come lately is that now people go for beautifully curated meals and drinks are an important part of that. Therefore we see so many food and drink pairing sessions happening these days,” explained Sandeep Arora, a certified whisky master who in association with Eros conceptualised the whisky-food pairing experience.
To give the idea of drinking whisky with some Indian delicacies, the restaurant has created four trails of whisky — blends, comfort, premium and exotic. Sandeep shared, “The idea was that as the guest enters and wants to eat and drink simultaneously, we come in to add value to their meal by making sure they are drinking something which is complementing their food. Hence, the first part of the concept was to create kebabs and club them with whisky. Next on course are small portions of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies — makhani paneer, dhaba meat, maah di dal, subjian da pulao — with an assortment of breads. The idea is to serve fresh ingredients, smaller portions, freshly cooked and paired well with whisky.”
Other alcoholic beverages such as wine, ale and beer have a dated history of being consumed with food. In that respect, pairing whisky with food is presently in its growing stages and a handful of people are still skeptical about enjoying their meal with a glass of whisky. Sandeep said, “If someone is drinking a light, fragrant whisky with something which is rich in oil and spices, then howsoever smooth, good, complex and elegant the whisky maybe, its essence is taken away by the oil and spices of the food. Then the whisky is being enjoyed but its taste isn’t being optimised.”
Sandeep is of the view that ordinarily one can do marinades and desserts using whisky but the most enjoyable experience would be that of having it with food overall. He said that using whisky while cooking is something that’s intrinsically driven. “I’ve personally tried marinating lamb kebabs in smoky whisky which came out really nice. I also did smoky whisky rotis where the dough was made in whisky instead of water. Although the whisky evaporated as soon as it was placed in the baked oven but its taste remained, thus making it an interesting exploration.”
The best thing about whisky and food pairing is that it’s growing in terms of awareness among people. A lot of people want to know what works and the myriad trends in this emerging concept. “Women are drinking more whisky now. People are drinking a lot more of single malt whisky which means they are on the lookout for different tastes. People by and large are wanting to eat fresh food and they mostly stay away from heavy meals. They are embracing newer thoughts,” said Sandeep.