We spoke to Indian sommeliers and others to
provide a primer on how desi food pairs with wines.
Few things hit
the spot like a cold
beer with spicy
Indian food.
But wine? How
can something
as subtle or
sweet pair with
the outsized flavors
and spice of
this cuisine? A nice
cabernet sauvignon
with pasta is one thing, but
with curry?
Wine and Indian food may, at first,
seem like a clash, but like most things
about wine, once you dig deep, experiment,
and experience the subtleties, wine
is not only a viable option with desi khana but
can also enhance your Indian dining experience to a
memorable one.
With wines, there are no hard and fast rules…if
there is one, it is that the best wine pairing is an entirely
personal choice. Having said that, sommeliers have
their expert opinions on what pairs well with the various
regional styles of Indian food. But here too, recommendations
are not always universal, and sometime
are also contradictory.
From a sommelier to now a wine maker, Rajat Parr
has navigated the world of wines. He owns three wineries—
two in California, and one in Oregon. This three-time
James Beard award winner also has a small Indian
restaurant, Bibi Ji, in Santa Barbara, California. According
to Parr, broadly speaking, spicy dishes go better with
white wines which are generally sweeter and aromatic. They provide a good contrast
to the heat of many
spicy Indian dishes. Some
examples are German Riesling
and Sauvignon Blanc.
Reds, on the other hand, according
to Parr, work well with
cream-based gravies such as
Navratan Korma, Paneer Pasanda,
or Malai Kofta.
(Left) Jhinga
Curry.
Here are some of Parr’s recommendations:
• Meat dishes such as Lamb
Rogan Josh or Tandoori Chicken go
well with reds.
• Seafood such as
jhinga (prawns, shrimp):
whites.
• Yogurt curries are
better with whites like
Rieslings.
• Tomato gravies go
better with red wines like
Gamay, Sirah (Shiraz).
• Creamy sauces or buttered
dishes go better with
light reds like Pinot Noir.
• Green dishes like Saag Paneer:
spicy red wines.
• South Indian food is better
suited for white wine like Riesling
as dishes are more fermented.
“The acidity of the sambar or
rasam and richness and use of coconut
milk in South Indian curries can
only be paired with [white wines]
like some new work Chardonnay,
Austrian Grüner Veltliner, or Indian
Shiraz,” offers Indo-Canadian
chef and sommelier Vikram Vij of
the famous Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver,
Canada.
(Left) Chole.
But what if you
love red wines and
don’t care much for
the whites? Does it
mean wine is out for
you when enjoying
a spicy Indian dish?
Not quite. Co-founder
of Wine Folly, Madeline Puckette,
says lighter reds such as Pinot Noir
and Merlot can also pair well with
spicy dishes. Some of Puckette’s
other recommendations:
• Aromatic whites and
sparkling wines go well with rice
dishes and coconut flavored curries
such as vegetable kurma and
idli-chutney.
• Lentils and tomato sauce
dishes like chole (garbanzo beans
in a tomato gravy) go well with
Silvaner, a German wine similar
to a Riesling.
• A bold Cabernet Sauvignon
pairs well with creamy gravies like
Navratan Korma and Malai Kofta.
(Right) Chicken.
Atlanta-based chef Rajan
Mistry of S3 Catering has his recommendations:
• Red meat
(Lamb Rogan
Josh, Madras
Beef Curry, Mutton
Goat Curry) –
Red wines.
• White meat
(Butter Chicken, Chicken
Tikka Masala, or Chicken
Korma) – White wines.
• Vegetarian entrees
(Palak Paneer, Veg Kurma, Daal
Makhani, Aloo Gobi) go well with
lighter reds or whites.
• If the curry is rich, like a butter
chicken, go with a lighter white
instead of a bolder white.
• If the curry is lighter, then go
with a bolder flavor white or red.
• When it comes to coconut
flavors, go with something that is
sweeter, so a Riesling or a crisp wine
like a Sauvignon Blanc.
• Vegetable, chicken, or mutton
biryani is best with white wines.
• Tomato-based gravies such
as Chicken Masala, Baingan Bartha,
or Vegetable Jalfrezi can pair
nicely with rosé, fruity, light-to-medium
bodied wines like Zweigelt,
Pinot Noir, Garnacha (Grenache),
or Gamay.
(Right) Navratan korma.
• For cream-based gravies like
Navratan Korma, Mistry’s recommendations
are deep colored rosé
wines, sparkling rosé, Lambrusco,
medium-bodied reds like Zinfandel,
Garnacha, and Cabernet Franc.
And if all this seems too much
to take in, here’s some counterintuitive
wisdom from the celebrated
restaurateur and sommelier Vikram
Vij who, as quoted in the dailyhive.
com, says, “If you really want to
taste Indian food and the nuances
of it, you should taste water with it.
But because we live in North America,
we love our wine and our beer.”
Vij says, further in the same
article, “There is no match made in
Heaven as far as Indian food and
wine are concerned. What’s correct
is, you take a sip of your wine—it’s tasty; you take a bite of food
and it’s tasty.”
While recommending not to
overthink it, he adds, “Most importantly,
don’t fuss too much over this
‘perfect pairing.’ Fuss over the food.
Serve it with passion, serve it with
love, and enjoy. That’s all.”
Archith Seshadri has been a reporter
and anchor at various locations in Georgia
for local news affiliates of CBS, ABC, and
FOX. Most recently he finished a 2-year anchoring
stint for Zee News’ English channel,
WION, in New Delhi.