Written by: Stefania Piccardo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Curry and beer? When you think of curry, what comes to mind it is a nice cold draught beer. That is the general outlook people have towards Indian curries. But it may come as to surprise for some that beer is not the only drink that pairs well with a curry. In fact, cocktails can match perfectly with any curry, you just need to know which one to choose according to the ingredients that best go with your food.
Consider cocktails instead…
What about a mojito dashed with a Bacardi or a Love from Delhi with Plymouth and Chambord? Or a mango strawberry daiquiri with rum? Or even our aromatic Lychee Martini with Vodka?
Let’s explore in more detail how cocktails can be an out-of-the-ordinary but very refreshing and delightful choice that can bring out the flavours and cool down the upshot of the spices.
Many cocktails would complement different dishes, whether with lamb, chicken, fish and vegetables.
Lamb dishes
Let’s start with the meaty lamb dishes. Lamb is full of flavour, it has a robust pastoral rounded taste and it is lightly sweeter than chicken, so for these curries, we would recommend a rum-based cocktail. Why not try a Rajasthani lamb or a Laal Maans or even a keema mutter with our signature Peruka Breeze containing rum and guava juice to refresh your tongue? Or maybe a Mojito with Bacardi Rum, lime and mint leave to give that subtle relief from the tang? Our Mojitos come with a fruity flavour with a choice of raspberry or strawberry to add that reminiscence of summer in the air, even on cold, snowy winter days. Also, a Disaronno would complement a lamb dish perfectly because it has that almondy sweet taste. Ask for a Disaronno Fizz with lemon and soda to our in-house mixologist to finish off your meal!
Chicken or fish curries with cocktails
And what about chicken? Being quite different from lamb in taste, chicken curries are best coupled with gin and vodka or even a Martini. So you can match our Murgh dishes like Methi Murgh, Murgh curry or a Murgh Qorma with one of our signature Martini cocktails like a French Martini with a dash of High-grade Vodka in it.
And what about Indian fish dishes? Our pomfret or a banana leaf wrapped Pollichatu would match with a dry gin or a vodka-inspired cocktail, as they would with a Pinot Gris or a Sauvignon Blanc.
Vegetable dishes
Vegetable dishes in India are a staple food often paired with aromatic basmati rice or roti or naan. Lentils like a creamy Daal Makhani or Tadka Daal pair well with tangy cocktails containing ginger ale or take a Pindi chole or an aloo gobhi with a gin tonic with mint and lime with a thin slice of ginger.
Our ambitious wine selection…
Apart from cocktails wines are a great match for curries too! For those who are more traditional and not very adventurous, wines represent a great option when it comes to Indian cuisine.
Vegetables can be coupled with an earthy red like a pinot noir with a hint of spices. Try our Dal tadka or Dal Makhani or even an aubergine bharta with our Red Pinot Noir from the foothills of the Pyrenees.
Lamb curries or lamb chops are perfectly coupled with robust, well-rounded reds like Malbec or a Shiraz, or a mellow Cabernet Sauvignon.
Undoubtedly, all chicken dishes pair well with a red fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, which is well combined with all the spicy dishes.
And finally, fish…
Fish tapas match with a Belvino Pinot Grigio Rosato, slightly dryer in style, full of fresh summer berry fruit aromas, still a nice option from our menu if you like fish. Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or a white Corte Vigna pinot grigio and The Beautiful Lady white from South Africa (Gewurztraminer) are exceptionally well paired with Indian style cooked fish and with spicy Asian cuisine in general, thanks to their off style.
Whatever item you choose from our mouth-watering menu, we will be happy to advise the best cocktail or wine from our ambitious and extensive selection of drinks.
Welcome to divine dining, only at Namaste Delhi!
Stefania Piccardo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Stefania Piccardo obtained her PhD in English language and literature from La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. During her academic years, she worked for Scottish distilleries and castles as a tour guide in multiple languages. Her love for Scotland brought her back to Aberdeen in 2003, where she obtained an MSc in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs from Robert Gordon University.
She then worked for multiple organizations but soon realized that she wanted to teach languages privately to the corporate level. Stefania has helped many students achieve the best grades in school and university but most of all she has the ambition to train corporate employees who deal with import/export and foreign trade or want to develop their careers and expand their horizons for more opportunities in Europe and beyond. She speaks four languages, including Italian, her mother tongue, English, French and Spanish and she founded Language tutor4U back in 2012.
In addition to her teaching schedule, she has worked as a PR/Marketing manager for Namaste Delhi, the innovative and traditional Indian restaurant she owns along with her husband in Aberdeen City center since 2018. As a keen writer, she also enjoys feeding social media posts and writing for her blogs about Italian and Indian cultures, languages, and much more!
