Spice up Indian cuisine with wine
Chef Vikram Vij’s recent visit to our city as the Hokanson chef-in-residence at NAIT’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts reminded me that there are still people who are surprised that you can pair Indian cuisine with wine.
Perhaps it is because Indian cuisine (as with most other Asian cuisines) evolved in the absence of domestic wine cultures. Or maybe the unique and distinctive flavours of spices such as cardamom, coriander and turmeric have created a perception that they are beyond the realm of marrying with wine. Fear of failure (in achieving a decent pairing) results in taking the easy way out ... beer.
When I entered the wine industry, many people would comment that it must be difficult not being able to drink wine with “mom’s cooking.” I would look at them quizzically because I found pairing wine with Indian cuisine no more difficult than any other flavourful cuisine. The secret is to select elegant, flavourful wines with soft tannins and balanced acidity. Stay away from heavily oaked or excessively tannic wines, as they will overwhelm the food and often taste bitter with the myriad of spices.
This brings me to another misconception, that all Indian food is exceedingly spicy hot. Spice doesn’t just translate to heat, more often it translates to flavour. Also, because of religion, geography and history, Indian cuisine is very diverse and regional, from tandoori dishes in the north to the spicy vindaloos of the south.
I was asked to pair wines with one of the dinners prepared by NAIT’s culinary arts students under the guidance of Chef Vij: Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc (B.C.) with a selection of hors d’oeuvres, including lamb popsicles and pakoras; Tantalus Riesling (B.C.) with duo of warm eggplant and tomato salad and prawns in coconut masala; 50th Parallel Pinot Noir (B.C.) with Vij’s family chicken curry; Bartier Bros. Syrah (B.C.) with stewed goat curry; Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 (Nova Scotia) with rice pudding.
I went all Canadian, not just because Vij is a big supporter of the Canadian wine industry, but the natural freshness of our country’s wines tend to create an affinity for food in general.
Take the time to experiment and acclimatize yourself to the various flavours of the cuisine and you just might be surprised. It won’t be long before that beer is replaced with a glass of dry Rose, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Grenache, cool climate Syrah or Champagne.