Samosas & English Sparkling Wine

When you think of a trusty Indian snack, most will think of a samosa, particularly if you are in the UK. An onion bhaji could come in a close 2nd, but a samosa tends to feature in most Indian regions and can have a slightly different flavour and look depending on where you go. It can be had at breakfast time (true story!) This is typical in Bengal, where a samosa is known as Shingara.

In other parts of India, for example, Gujarat, the pastry may be more filo like and flakier. I tend to like these as a snack and grab and go type occasions. Again, some bias may be coming into play here but nothing beats a pukka Punjabi samosa. Typically, a decent size and shape, with a wholesome filling, can be eaten at most times of the day.

Here are 3 occasions where we paired some homemade samosas with different types of English sparkling wine:

Samosas with chana masala (chick peas) & Fox and Fox Meunier 2014

Wine: Lime-citrus top notes with subtle orchard fruit flavours.

Food pairing: This was a lunch affair and made for a wholesome daytime meal with the side of chana masala. I deliberately picked this wine on this occasion due to the depth of flavour here and thinking the wine to be dry. Whilst I didn’t pick up the zesty nature of the wine myself, I can see how it may well have worked in this instance as I forgot to squeeze a lot of lime on the chana to give it that additional kick.

Shingara with dhania (coriander) chutney & Fox & Fox Tradition 2014

Wine: Ripe baked-apple flavours that linger. It is a beautifully rounded fizz with a satisfyingly long finish.

Food pairing: Full confession. This is a bit of a fusion. Here we had a go at shingaras, essentially smaller than a typical samosa and tends to have the odd nut sneaked into them. The chutney however I doubt you would get in this combination, but it is sooo good! As an anytime of day wine, you could certainly get away with this combo before noon! Breakfast samosa and sparkling wine!

Samosa with mint chutney & Bolney Estate Bolney Bubbly

Wine: Delightful floral and brioche notes combine with zesty citrus fruit, honeysuckle and elderflower. It is delicate and well balanced, finishing with a soft fresh hint of sweetness.

Food pairing: This time, the samosa was treated as a starter. The contents of potato and peas (the latter always hotly debated) was full to the brim and paired beautifully with the chosen wine. As you may have noticed, I’m partial to a condiment hence the chutney here. You can go with or without the chutney however when it comes to this pairing.

There we have it. One of our favourite snacks that I’ve made for the first time ever as a result of lockdown and eaten a lot of this year. It definitely pairs well with sparkling wine, the selection and suggestions above will start you off!

Author: Rupa Datta – rupa@portfolio-people.com