Paired to perfection

A tantalising play of tastes to match food and drinks is set to transcend all prior sensory experiences, writes Sharmila Chand

Perfecting the art of food and drink pairing has upped the flavour experience while throwing up a new creative space in the world of food matchmaking. Cutting through flavours is the new challenge as chefs are inventing and tweaking cocktails to match them perfectly with a dish.

A delightful array of sundowners paired with the right snacks — bite-sized, light and delicious, some traditional and others with an inventive twist — are being curated and recommended by chefs as a treat to the taste-buds.

A seasoned chef, particular about his ingredients, Chef Sagar Bajaj’s favourite snack on offer is Pancar Kok and Pistachio — a delicacy made with beetroot wedges, pickled saffron cucumber, pistachio emulsion, Persian feta and pistachio crumble, basil, chive oil, and vinaigrette pearls. He says, “With the goodness of pistachio and fresh veggies, it is light to eat and very refreshing. This delicacy goes well with Ginger and Beetroot Kombucha which is a
power-packed drink with ginger and beetroot.” Chef Sagar also swears by Mushroom Bao, pairing it with Blueberry and Elderflower Spritzer. “Steamed buns filled with mushroom in truffle oil is a perfect delicacy for balmy evenings,” he adds.

Cheesy Butter Chicken Croquettes

Chef Yash Sagar suggests Cheesy Butter Chicken Croquettes as the perfect sundowner dish. Marinated and grated butter chicken tossed with crumbled cheese goes very well with all kinds of beverages and chilled wines. He likes to pair it with Matka LIT which is an interesting cocktail made with a mix of Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Rum, Triple Sec, orange fizz and tadka masala. Chef Arvind Bhartim who is not just credited for launching several restaurants but also for curating special menus has an interesting sundowner — the traditional Palak Patta Chaat. He says, “I like evenings to be enjoyed with a melange of flavours hence I suggest Palak Patta Chaat, as it is packed with sweet and tangy flavours. Fresh whole big spinach leaves are fried and topped with bhel puri, potatoes, chopped veggies, sweet and tangy chutney. I like to pair it with Rose Cocktail which is a mix of Gin, Elderflower, Blueberry and Rosemary.” Amit Bagga, a food consultant and entrepreneur based in New Delhi suggests Chicken Pakoras should be paired with Laung Gawacha, which is a citrus-based aromatic clove and cardamom lemonade drink.

An experienced and passionate chef who likes to try his innovative ideas in world cuisine, Chef Ashish Singh suggests Artichoke Tostada as his favourite sundowner dish. He says, “Baked toastie topped with artichoke is crispy, light and perfect as an evening snack as it does not amount to a heavy indulgence. The goodness of artichoke is matchless and this healthy ingredient takes the dish to a different level. It goes very well with white wine because of its refreshing taste and aroma.” He also teams it up with the cocktail Aam Panna Vodka which is a desi drink, a mix of Aam Panna, Vodka and in-house masala which lends a tangy flavour to the drink.”

Chef Pragati Mitta is a lawyer-turned-chef who studied Pastry and Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and is also an expert on wine and mixology. According to her, Thyme Scented Mushroom Posh Toast which is a delicious creamy topping consisting of shiitake, porcini and button mushrooms, sautéed with shallots and roasted peppercorn on toast, is a perfect sundowner paired with Chardonnay.

Palak Patta Chaat

One of the youngest chefs who loves to introduce new food concepts is Chef Saurabh Udinia. He likes Tempura Fried Prawns Nimbu Mirch Air as the perfect sundowner. Fresh prawns are fried till crisp, tossed in red chilli mayo and served with lemon and green foam and tobiko caviar. One can team this up with Sauvignon Blanc. “The light and fruity flavours go well with the crisp texture of Tempura,” he adds.

Rose Cocktail

A die-hard chef at heart with photography as his passion, Chef Anurudh Khanna suggests classic Fig & Goat Cheese Crackers — Fig jam, goat cheese, a slice of fresh fig on seeded multigrain crackers and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. He says, “Figs liven up both savoury and sweet dishes. The flavours of fresh figs, tangy goat cheese and balsamic vinegar contrast to make these a quick, easy, delicious and very pretty appetiser because cheese and cocktail go very well together. A Peach Gin Fizz, which is a slightly sweet, tart, and bubbly sipper, goes well with the crackers. The floral notes of the gin mixed with the taste of ripe, sweet peaches explode on your palate most refreshingly and complement the taste of goat cheese. Sauvignon Blanc wines are also a great pairing with this appetiser. Acidic and citrusy, they impart all that goodness into the cream, giving it the extra herbal flavours along with prepping the palate for the next bite.” Guess what? Even the humble bhel puri has Sangria for company! So go ahead, perk up your evenings with these savoury treats that are paired well!