Wine with Indian food? Chef shows the way

Ever thought of pairing wine with mithai, chaat or even utthapam? Sounds weird but would taste quite scrumptious too assures chef and writer Michael Swamy, who has come out with a guide to food pairing.
Swamy, who has trained at the prestigious Cordon Bleu culinary school in London, says cooking with wine is not just for the elites but could soon find its way into the kitchens of middle class families too.
"So a staple lunch of aloo gobi could be washed down with a sweet and aromatic glass of Chenin Blanc or a Viognier. A full-bodied Chardonnay can be quaffed with vegetarian snacks like samosas, channa bhatura, pao bhaji or ragda pattice", says Swamy.

The chef was here recently to launch his book "Guide to Pairing Indian Food and Wine" been published by Om Books in association with Nine Hills from Pernod Ricard India.
"It took me almost three months to come out with the book. Why don't we come up with a book that tells about the realm of wines," says Swamy.
Swamy, offers an assortment of Indian as well as continental food recipes, along with a wine pairing suggestion for each recipe.

The book also includes some easy-to-cook snacks like spinach fritters and onion springs that can be cooked wine.
"There are some Indian spices like clove and cinnamon that go well when cooked with wine," says the chef.

"Modern Indian cuisine is the next step. Only a few chefs like chef Atul Kochhar have been practicing it. Including wine in recipes with radically alter the dimensions of what we know as modern Indian cuisine and put Indian cuisine on the global culinary map," says Swamy.