Mai Tai-me To Shine: Try 9 Terrific Drinks With Taste Atlas' Best Indian Food
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 eight of this ten-part series highlighting the cocktails and mocktails you can pair with recipes like shami kebab, jalebi, upperi and more!
Aloo Palak And Mai Tai
A delicious sabzi made from potatoes and spinach, this dish is prepared widely in many Indian households and carries the slightly bittersweet notes of the leafy veggie coupled with cumin, garlic and hot peppers. You can pair this with a stunningly fruity mai tai full of the kick of a strong rum and the sweetness of curacao and lime juice.
Shami Kebab And Sazerac
Hailing from Lucknow, shami kebab is a delicious, meaty dish made from mincing mutton or lamb with the infusion of lots of spices like ginger, garlic, cumin, chilli flakes and mint. This lip smacking dish can go really well with the whisky infused sazerac whose intensity blends with the spiciness of the kebab dish.
Paper Dosa And Lemon Tea
Southern India is full of different dosa varieties which are made often as breakfast or snack staples. A dosa just as fine as a sheet of paper, this variant is a crispy yet soft pancake that tastes best with chutney and butter. Pair it with warm lemon tea garnished with mint to introduce a refreshing feel on your palette.
Jalebi And Eggnog
Made from flour and yoghurt and fried in ghee before being doused in sugar syrup, jalebi is an irresistible dessert. It can be traditionally paired with rabdi and buttermilk but put a more fusion-like spin on the classic dessert and enjoy jalebi with creamy eggnog for more festive feels.
Khaja And Hot Toddy
A popular sweet pastry folded rather like a danish, khaja is indulgently sweet and decadent, making it a sought after dessert during weddings and festive celebrations. You can sip on a warm, soothing hot toddy which undercuts some of the sweetness of the khaja rolls through spices like cloves, cinnamon, star anise and quality brandy that go into its making.
Upperi And Red Wine Sangria
Signature plantain chips hailing from Kerala, this deep fried snack is lightly salted and you can munch on it while sitting around an intimate table at an evening party. Undoubtedly, the drink would go splendidly with a red wine sangria replete with the sweetness of chopped fruits and the slightly fruity, bitter textures of a good, dark grape.
Bombay Sandwich And Rob Roy
When you head to this famed city, you would definitely want to gorge on the Bombay sandwich made out of veggies, chutney, masalas and some chopped potatoes and onions. Pair this delicious cold sandwich with a rob roy, classic cocktail made out of scotch whisky and bitters that nicely compliment the spicy and buttery notes of the untoasted sandwich.
Falooda And Jeera Soda
The name of this dessert is derived from the thin noodles or falooda which figure prominently in its making. But this dish also contains many other decadent ingredients like rose syrup, milk and soaked basil seeds which make it thoroughly inviting. You can sip on carbonated jeera soda while having falooda to tame some of its sweetness with a slightly sour and tangy drink.
Sev And Bloody Mary
When you next host a cocktail party and are wondering what snacks to serve your guests, go for the sev, a thin deep-fried crisp. It tastes great on its own but also makes for a very interesting alternative to traditional chaat when you throw in some chopped onions, tomatoes, chillies and tamarind chutney over it. Sev can be enjoyed with the spicy, tangy notes of bloody mary for a well-balanced mouthfeel.
