6 Grilled And Smoky Dishes To Pair With Cumin Cocktails
Cumin is a popular kitchen staple in most Indian households that has over time made its way into modern mixology. Today, the spice is used in the preparation of a number of cocktails because its earthy and subtle flavours manage to highlight the tastes of other fruity and tart ingredients in drinks.
Serving these cumin-forward cocktails with food can lead to pairing the umami and toasty flavours of the spice with dishes which contain similar tasting notes. This means working with foods that are grilled on an open flame or are barbecued or placed in the tandoor to render them that smoked and roasted quality.
Here are some grilled and smoky dishes that pair well with cocktails made by adding either toasted cumin seeds or jeera powder to the blend:
Kasundi
A classic dish from West Bengal, the grilled fish recipe kasundi involves marinating fish in mustard and grilling it on an open flame. With this, the fish acquires a charred quality that goes well with the earthiness of the mustard marinade. Such a smoky, charred fish with a crispy exterior can be paired well with a cumin-based cocktail like a spiced jaljeera gin fizz made using 30 ml Gordon’s The Original London Dry Gin. Kasundi’s smoked and slightly burnt flavours compliment the similarly earthy flavour profile of cumin forward cocktails.
Grilled Corn With Cumin Butter And Lime
Another smoky dish that pairs well with cocktails like a cumin kokum vodka spritzer is grilled corn that is coated in cumin butter and lime. Prepare the spritzer using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka and add to it 15 ml kokum syrup and 1 tablespoon full of roasted cumin powder. The toastiness of the cumin’s flavours synchronise with the umami and earthy notes of the cumin butter, undercut in turn by the tartness of the lime. Grill the corn on an open flame so it acquires its signature charred touch.
Charred Lamb Kebabs
A favoured Mediterranean staple, charred lamb kebabs marinated in a sauce made out of mint, cumin, chilli and other spices is an interesting dish to serve alongside a cumin cocktail like the spiced cumin margarita. Use 30 ml premium Don Julio Blanco Tequila to prepare this drink whose cumin forward flavours go well with the spicy and umami taste of the kebabs. Serve a yogurt dip with the lamb kebabs cooked on an open flame or in the tandoor.
Spiced Grilled Chicken Skewers
A grilled chicken recipe complete with a spicy masala marinade and a smoky finish that comes from cooking the skewers on an open flame, this is a suitable appetiser for pairing with cumin-forward cocktails. The earthy and deep tastes of cumin derived from a cumin whisky sour recipe suit the similarly smoky taste of the skewers. As well, when cooked on a charcoal flame, some of the smoky aroma seeps into the dish giving it added layers of flavour that go with the cumin cocktail made using 30 ml premium Johnny Walker Black Label.
Charred Eggplant With Yogurt
Prepare a classic cumin flavoured gin and tonic recipe using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin and pair it with charred eggplant for an interesting food and drink coupling. The soft and slightly sweet interior of the gourd carries subtle smoky notes when it is cooked on an open grill which complement the toastiness of cumin powder present in the cocktail. Serve the eggplant with a lime and yogurt dip to balance out the umami flavours with a sweet and acidic finish.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
