Beer with Kashmiri wazwan from rogan josh to gushtaba

A wazwan is a marathon of mutton

A traditional wazwan is cooked by a waza, the head chef. It is served on a shared copper platter called a trami. Guests eat in groups of four. The courses arrive one after another and can run to dozens of dishes at a wedding, almost all built on mutton.

That shapes the beer choice more than any single dish does. A heavy, high alcohol beer will tire you out by the third course. We would rather pour two or three moderate beers across the meal, each matched to a family of dishes, with plenty of water on the table. Plan on beers between 4 and 6% ABV and small pours.

Seekh kebabs and methi maaz open the meal

The first dishes on the trami are usually lighter in sauce but big in spice. Seekh kebabs of minced mutton come early, along with methi maaz, mutton tripe and offal cooked with dried fenugreek leaves. Methi gives a bitter, almost maple like aroma that is easy to clash with.

Here a crisp, lightly hopped beer is the safe opener. A German Pilsner at around 4.8% ABV cleans the palate after each kebab and gets the meal moving. Its floral hops do not fight the fenugreek. A Helles, softer and maltier with only 16 to 22 IBU, is the choice if you find Pilsner bitterness too sharp. We avoid hop forward pale ales at this stage. Their citrus and pine aromas sit oddly beside methi, while their bitterness builds up over a long meal and dulls the palate before the best dishes arrive.

Rogan josh and rista want malt that matches the red

Rogan josh gets its deep red colour from Kashmiri chillies, which give more colour than heat, along with fennel, dry ginger and the fat the meat is cooked in. Rista, pounded mutton balls in a red gravy, is in the same family.

These dishes are rich and aromatic but rarely fiery. An amber lager, a Märzen or a Vienna lager is our pick. Toasty, lightly caramel malt picks up the browned meat and the warm spice, while 18 to 25 IBU of bitterness is enough to cut the fat without fighting the fennel. A brown ale works too if you like a nuttier note.

Tabak maaz needs bubbles to cut the fat

Tabak maaz is lamb ribs simmered in milk and spices, then fried in ghee until the outside crisps. It is one of the richest bites of the meal.

Here carbonation does most of the work. A Pilsner carries about 2.5 volumes of CO2, which lifts fat off the tongue. Its 25 to 40 IBU of crisp hop bitterness adds a clean edge. A Belgian style saison at even higher carbonation does the same job with a peppery yeast character that suits the spice.

Yakhni and gushtaba call for something soft

The pale dishes change the mood. Yakhni is mutton in a yoghurt gravy scented with fennel and cardamom. Gushtaba, the large pounded mutton balls in a creamy yoghurt sauce, traditionally comes last and signals the end of the main meal.

Yoghurt and roasted malt clash, so leave the porter in the fridge. A Bavarian hefeweizen or a Belgian witbier suits these courses. The wheat gives a soft, creamy body that matches the sauce. The witbier's coriander and orange peel sit neatly beside cardamom and fennel. Bitterness stays around 10 to 20 IBU, so the delicate dairy flavour is not swamped.

The vegetarian dishes and the chutneys

A wazwan also has dum aloo, haakh (collard greens) and sharp chutneys made with radish, walnut or chilli. These are where acidity and spice turn up in force.

A Kölsch or a light lager is the easy partner for haakh and the milder vegetables. For the chutneys, a tart beer such as a gose, lightly salted and sour, is a fun contrast. Our beer and food pairing basics explain why matching or contrasting acidity both work.

Running a beer flight across the meal

If you host a wazwan style dinner, we would pour three beers in this order: a Pilsner with the kebabs and tabak maaz, an amber lager with rogan josh and rista, then a witbier with yakhni and gushtaba. Serve the lagers at 4 to 7 °C and the witbier at 6 to 8 °C. Use smaller glasses so nobody is pushed past their limit. Our guide to setting up a beer tasting covers glass sizes and order.

The interesting bit is tasting the change. The same witbier that seems watery next to rogan josh tastes rounded next to gushtaba. Spotting that shift and naming why it happens is what turns pairing from guesswork into a skill.

Your first step: next time you order rogan josh, try it with an amber lager and a witbier side by side. Note which one makes the fennel stand out.

Common questions

What beer goes with rogan josh?

An amber lager, Vienna lager or Märzen. Toasty malt suits the browned mutton and Kashmiri chilli. Moderate bitterness cuts the fat.

Can you drink beer with yoghurt based dishes like gushtaba?

Yes. Soft wheat beers such as hefeweizen or witbier suit yoghurt sauces. Avoid roasty stouts, which clash with dairy acidity.

How strong should beer be for a long feast?

Keep to 4 to 6% ABV, pour small glasses and keep water on the table. A wazwan is long and heavy food plus strong beer wears you out fast.