No More Boring Cocktails To Pair With Butter Chicken, Try These Instead!
Gravies and curries have a very prominent spot in Indian kitchens. Masalas are slow roasted on a low flame to release their aromas and flavours before utilising them in preparing these rich meat, veggie and chicken recipes. One such curry which stands out for its buttery texture and its light tang is the iconic butter chicken – perfectly cooked in a mildly spicy masala, a rich tomato gravy and a generous helping of butter and cream.
Murgh makhani or butter chicken has endured as a fine recipe that is a well-balanced mix of rather dense flavours. It is most often than not paired with warm butter naan or butter garlic naan and a light onion and tomato salad. And what goes well with butter chicken other than the usual fare of highballs and coolers are certain other inventive drinks which either cut through the richness of the dish or build into its warmth to culminate in a complex and thoroughly delicious tasting experience.
Read on below to know more about some of the interesting twists that can be given to relatively straightforward cocktail recipes before pairing these imaginative blends with the butter chicken you cook at home for a dinner party:
Saffron Gin Fizz
Prepare an aromatic and orangeish, golden hued luxurious blend using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice and 1 tablespoon of saffron infused simple syrup. Top the drink off with about 20 ml club soda or sparkling water to lend it an aerated touch. Such a sparkly saffron gin fizz complete with the herbaceous notes of the spirit and the light aroma and flavour of saffron would compliment the buttery and creamy notes of the thick chicken gravy, making it an excellent alternative to serve with a butter chicken and naan dinner.
Dirty Rose Martini Cocktail
Introducing floral effects into cocktails is a mixology technique using which drinks can be endowed with certain complex flavour notes. Interestingly, these floral touches go really well with creamy and savoury gravies because their soft flavours cut through the richness of curried meats. Butter chicken paired with a dirty rose martini cocktail is one such combination. Bring this drink together by adding a splash of rose water or rose syrup to about 30 ml Gordon’s Original London Dry Gin or any other premium gin of choice along with 15 ml of dry vermouth.
Spiced Whisky Sour
Another drink which would go exceedingly well with the soft, perfectly cooked chicken lathered in a creamy, tomatoey and buttery gravy is the spiced whisky sour. Made using 30 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium whisky of choice along with a dash of honey and a tablespoon of cinnamon syrup, the spicy notes in this drink would compliment the mild masala of the butter chicken. Add a citrus lift to this pairing by introducing a tablespoon of lime juice in the cocktail blend and give it an acidic tang.
Masala Mule
A cocktail which puts a bit of twist on the classic moscow mule recipe, the masala mule can be crafted using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice that is stirred into a mix of a pinch of cumin powder and garam masala each. The drink is then topped off with 15 ml fizzy ginger beer to lace it with a spicy touch. Such a masala-infused twist to the cocktail makes it a robust pairing with the rich flavours of the butter chicken.
Cardamom Mango Daiquiri
Introduce more tropical flavours into the classic daiquiri by adding to it a spoonful of mango pulp and a teaspoon of cardamom syrup. Bring the drink together with the addition of 30 ml Captain Morgan Dark Rum or any other premium rum of choice so that its caramelised notes build into the earthy and mildly spicy flavours of butter chicken, making for a complex and deep flavour combination.
Also Read: Love Butter Chicken And Naan? Here Are 6 Drinks To Pair With The Curry
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
