Tips to pair Indian food with wine

The main idea behind pairings is that certain elements (such as texture and flavour) in both food and wine interact with each other, and thus finding the right combination of these elements makes the dining experience more enjoyable. While most food and wine enthusiasts are aware of the ‘red wine with red meat’ and ‘white wine with white meat’ rule, not many have tried out Indian food with a glass of wine. 

Chef Dharmen Makawana, Executive Chef of The Leela Palace Chennai, that is currently hosting one-ofa-kind wine festival in the city says that it is possible to pair Indian food with wine. “Red wine can be paired with tandoori items. 

For instance, tandoori lamb champ can go well with red wine. But ensure masalas are mild. Another great option with red wine is roasted raan or mutton leg. You can also try mutton sukka with it. As for white wine, you can have it with white gravies like those with cashew or malai. White meat like chicken and salmon prepared with mild desi masala is also great with white wine,” he explains.