Best Drinks To Have With Taste Atlas’ Best Of Indian Cuisine List - Part 4
Indian cuisine is a vibrant mix of a lot of diverse ingredients and flavours that come together to produce some really exciting dishes. From sweet and spicy to umami and tangy, the sheer range of taste and textures that make up the cuisine of this subcontinent is absolutely marvellous. There are a number of dishes like the dal makhani, butter chicken and naan which have become famous the world over for their distinct taste and recipes that have been passed on through generations.
Taste Atlas has curated an extensive list of some of the best dishes that are part of Indian cuisine. And each of these numbers can be paired really well with lots of different alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks when you sit down for your meal.
We have curated a series of essays for you which recommend the best drink to have with all the items on this list.
Here is part four of this ten-part series highlighting the cocktails and mocktails you can pair with recipes like rumali roti, shrikhand, sabudana vada and more!
Shrikhand And Lime Water
Shrikhand is a curiously tasty yoghurt-based dessert made from hung curd. It is flavoured with nutmeg, cardamom, kesar and dry fruits and has a smooth, silky texture. Many times, it is enjoyed with warm puris as a delectable main. Grandmothers warn against sipping on plain water after eating shrikhand, so pair it with lime water to smoothen digestion instead.
Parotta And Mango Lassi
Parotta is a thick flatbread popular in southern India, devoured warm with veggies, meats and curries. It is made from refined flour, kneaded and cooked in oil and ghee, ingredients which imbue it with really heavy flavours. Parotta is a popular street food and when accompanied with spicy gravy, you can pair this dish with refreshingly sweet mango lassi.
Rumali Roti And Whisky Sour
If there was one Indian flatbread which required a complex technique to prepare, it is the rumali roti, which is flipped in the air many times before setting it on the tandoor. This thin flatbread, resembling a rumal or handkerchief goes well with Mughlai gravies and can be enjoyed with a glass of whisky sour which highlights the sweet and spicy notes of the meal.
Kheer And Lemonade
In India, kheer is made on any auspicious occasion as a sweet and an offering. Kheer can be made from rice, wheat or even vermicelli and is adorned with lots of spices like nutmeg, cardamom and saffron to give it a heightened flavour. You can pair the milky kheer with lots of tangy and refreshing lemonade that will act as a palette cleanser.
Puri And Vodka-Orange Juice
A puffy puri is a delicious flatbread that is best enjoyed with potato sabzi or the occasional sweets like kheer and shrikhand. If you are gorging on these delicious tiny treats brought out straight from the frying pan, pair them with the zesty kick of a vodka and orange juice mix which will add levity to the simple dish.
Laddu And Masala Milk
One of the most favoured sweet treats by kids and adults both, the laddu can be made from an inexhaustible list of ingredients like motichoor, sesame, gram flour, semolina. You can pair this thoroughly popular sweet with warm masala milk whose delectable creamy notes can be savoured while chewing on a chunky piece of laddu folded into the perfect round.
Coconut Chutney And Rasam
Any southern Indian breakfast would be incomplete without the coconut chutney, which is rather a staple accompaniment for idli, dosa, upma and pongal. You can pair this side dish with a tangy and inviting concoction of rasam that can be devoured bowl after bowl between bites of chutney and dosa. Mix rasam with rice too, for a more filling meal.
Sabudana Vada And Khus Sherbet
This is a rather eclectic pairing which brings together the mildly spicy, crispy tapioca and potato fritters with an exceedingly sweet sherbet carrying its own distinct flavour profile. The deep green hues of the sherbet reflect the extract derived from the khus or vetiver grass which also give the drink its distinctly sweet and sharp taste.
Papri Chaat And Ginger Lemon Cooler
Full of the crispiness of the papdi and the zingy notes of mint and tamarind chutney, there is no other pair for the papri chaat except a ginger lemon cooler which packs an equivalent kick. You can take your taste buds for an adventurous and flavourful ride with this spicy mix!
