Pairings | Whisky

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

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on November 3 2021 at 07:27

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.

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Tags: whisky red wine cider pale ale IPA pakoras bhajis samosas curry world food:Indian food

Comments: 5 (Add)

pkc on November 25 2022 at 09:17

india is not a teetotal nation..check out your facts..one of the highest whiskey drinking nations.

Kate on June 14 2022 at 02:36

My favorite beer to have with Indian food is Kingfisher! First had it back in 2006 in Om Beach and it quickly became my favorite! If you haven't had it, give it a try. Super cold and poured in a glass is best.

kamal arora on October 8 2021 at 19:23

I feel northern Rhône Syrahs go really well with indian kabab and curries . My personal favorite is cote rotie …

Simon Heape on March 19 2021 at 18:18

My Fortifieds teacher swore by Fino or Manzanilla with her curry. I haven’t got round to trying it but sounds a bit weird to me.

Nick Brett on October 10 2020 at 10:35

Recently tried variations to the standard Indian Lager. I find good IPAs work really well and have ventured into the occasional cider. My view is that Indian food cries out for big/long drinks so shorts would never work for me, nor wine. Much as I love wine, especially Pinot Gris and SB, I can’t really drink them with Indian food as I tend to gulp them down as if they were long drinks.

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