The Taste Atlas Approved List Of Indian Dishes Calls For These 9 Libations
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 seven of this ten-part series highlighting the cocktails and mocktails you can pair with recipes like medu vada, modak, aluchya vadya and more!
Onion Samosa And Cuba Libre
A popular street food in India, the deep-fried triangular samosa can well be heralded as the king of all snacks in this region. The onion samosa is a crispy, spicy treat made from a stuffing of potatoes and chopped onions, served with a mint chutney that is packed with heat. You can taper down the spiciness of the samosa with a chilled cuba libre. The sweet notes of cola balance the heat while the dark rum gives you a rather enjoyable kick.
Paneer And Moscow Mule
A soft and fresh cheese variety with a crumbly texture, paneer is a vegetarian’s delight in the Indian subcontinent. Numerous dishes from fried foods to curries are crafted out of this versatile ingredient. If you serve lightly tossed paneer as an appetiser, the cocktail to pair with it would be a zesty moscow mule which counteracts the sweetness of the cottage cheese.
Idli And Mango Lassi
Out of the many southern Indian breakfast delights, idli is a clear favourite and is best devoured with sambar, chutney, podi and ghee. A plateful of idli can be accompanied by some refreshing mango lassi whose sweetness nicely balances the airy, white, fluffy idlis.
Bonda And Jigarthanda
Indians delight in fried foods and one such pakora which is favoured by all is the aloo bonda or a round vada made from mashed potatoes. This deep-fried snack pairs really well with a cooling jigarthanda made from badam pisin or almond gum and sarsaparilla syrup. Jigarthanda’s sweet and sour notes nicely counteract the spiciness of the aloo bonda.
Egg Bhurji And Mojito
Egg bhurji or eggs scrambled in a variety of spices like ginger garlic paste, cumin and chillies is a much loved dish. It is savoured with pav or bread and can be paired with a rum mojito whose minty notes taper down the spiciness and intensity of this heat-packed street food.
Masala Vada And Tamarind Whisky Smash
Originating in Tamil Nadu, the masala vada is made from chana dal and lots of aromatics like curry leaves, onions, ginger garlic paste, peppers and fennel seeds. It is best enjoyed at tea time but you can also convert it into a stunning cocktail snack by serving it alongside a tangy tamarind whisky smash full of the intense, smoky notes of a quality liquor.
Jeera Rice And Dhaniya Shorba
Jeera rice is essentially long-grained rice tossed in a tempering of ghee or oil and some cumin. You can usually pair jeera rice with a steaming bowl of dal tadka but if you want to try out a different combination, go for a coriander soup or spicy shorba whose intense flavours and slight spiciness are highlighted by the mild profile of the rice dish.
Gajar Ka Halwa And Piña Colada
Mothers and sons have a particular affection for gajar ka halwa in Indian cinema and in Indian households! It is the perfect warm dessert for freezing winters but if you want to add a slightly boozy spin to this sweet meal, pair it with a creamy piña colada. Its luxurious and dense notes along with the kick of rum balance out the sweetness of the khoya infused dish.
Dabeli And Manhattan
Mashed potato stuffed between two sides of a pav that is bathed in butter and roasted until crispy and brown, dabeli, is a literally lip smacking street food perfect for high tea. You can make a batch of manhattan with the dabeli so its sweetness balances the slightly spicy kick of the crunchy but soft bread dish.
