Chai Ki teamed up with Beavertown Brewery for a night of guerrilla beer tasting to launch the first of their Monday Mash-ups.
Matching a beer to your food is not something we had really considered. Usually when we go for an Indian we pick a bottle of Cobra without putting any thought into it. But we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way! The menu at Chai Ki is simple; six dishes each paired with a Beavertown craft brew chosen to perfectly complement the flavours of the food.
The Shakarkandi Chaat (sweet potato, spiced chickpeas, sev, tamarind, papri, mint yoghurt) was paired with Bloody ‘Ell blood orange-infused IPA. The Chaat was delicious, with perfectly-cooked sweet potato and a lovely crunch coming from the sev and papri. The Bloody ‘Ell, was also probably our favourite beer. The subtle flavour of the blood orange really shone through when paired with the spices in the dish. We also learnt that Bloody ‘Ell is a seasonal beer (to coincide with the blood orange season in Italy) and the last batches are being brewed as we speak. So get out there and grab yourself a can or two for the summer!
The Burnt Chilli Chicken, in an Indo-Chinese Szechwan sauce, with red and green peppers, and spring onion had a real kick to it but when paired with the Smog Rocket (a hoppy smoked porter) wasn’t overpowering. Not usually a porter drinker, the smokiness was enhanced by the dish and after a few sips, became very moreish!
For us, the standout dish was the Himalyan Ribs; baby back ribs, Nepalese chilli rub, pineapple, bacon bhel. The Nepalese chilli rub had a beautiful flavour and a real slow burn that tingled, but never become too intense. Paired with Black Betty full flavoured black IPA, this was a match made in heaven!
Forget your wines, become a beer connoisseur and start experimenting with matching your favourite dishes to beer!
On the 6th June, Chai Ki will be hosting their next pairing event with Sambrooks. Tickets are £9 per person and include the first beer pairing and bar plate.
