Match of the week

Curried lentils with Waipara riesling

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on March 8 2021 at 07:53

Riesling is often paired with Indian food though I don’t think it always works with hotter curries. But with this anglicized version of a dal from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s new book Eat Better Forever it was spot on.

I say anglicized because, cumin seeds apart, it was based on curry powder rather than individual spices and also had extra lentils stirred in at the end, hence the title double dahl. So it was quite mild, accentuated by two accompanying salads, a ‘raita’ salad with apple, cucumber and mint - quite similar to the Meera Sodha salad I made last week - and a lightly dressed carrot salad with a lemony dressing.

I had a bottle of New Zealand winery Pegasus Bay’s 2018 riesling from the Waipara Valley in North Canterbury. At 13% it was comparatively strong for riesling with a touch of sweetness that was easily able to handle the spice. I remember drinking a sylvaner with a mild vegetable curry that worked in a similar way. You can buy the 2017 vintage from Waitrose Cellar for £16.99 (and on promotion at £12.74 until tomorrow, March 9th 2021).

For other suggestions see What to Drink with Dal

The Pegasus Bay was a press sample and Eat Better Forever which is published by Bloomsbury at £26 (although you can buy it for £13.65 from their website currently), a review copy.

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