Mango Lassi, Masala Chai or Nothing: What to Drink With Indian Food

Lassi is the best all-round match, because the casein and fat in yogurt bind chili heat while the acidity cuts through rich sauces. If you want beer, choose a crisp lager. If you want wine, choose an off-dry Riesling. Avoid IPAs, high-tannin reds and plain water.

Capsaicin isn't water-soluble, so water spreads it across the palate rather than removing it. Dairy works because casein binds capsaicin directly and fat dissolves it. Milk, yogurt, lassi and raita all work; water and soda don't.

A yogurt drink from Punjab, blended with water and either sugar or salt. Sweet lassi and mango lassi are the dessert-style versions. Salted lassi, seasoned with roasted cumin and mint, and chaas, a thinner spiced buttermilk, are what's traditionally drunk with a meal.

Black tea boiled, not steeped, with milk, sugar and spices including cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper. Boiling everything together is what produces its thick, malty body.

Chai simply means tea across South Asia, so "chai tea" is redundant. The spiced version is properly called masala chai. The terms are too established to be worth correcting in practice.

Not usually. Chai is drunk before or after a meal, or between meals with snacks such as pakora. Serving it alongside a curry is a Western restaurant convention, and a lassi generally works better during the meal.

A crisp lager or pilsner. Light body and clean finish reset the palate without adding bitterness. Avoid IPAs, hop bitterness amplifies chili heat rather than easing it, and avoid high-alcohol beers for the same reason.

Off-dry Riesling is the classic match, since residual sugar tames heat and acidity cuts richness. Gewürztraminer works well with creamy dishes, and dry rosé and sparkling wine are safe all-rounders. Avoid high-tannin reds, which combine harshly with capsaicin.

A thin, salted spiced buttermilk drink, usually flavored with roasted cumin, ginger and curry leaf. It's more refreshing and less filling than lassi and is commonly drunk with or after a heavy meal in western and southern India.

Yes. Casein, a protein in dairy, binds capsaicin and carries it away, and the fat dissolves it. Whole milk works better than skim, and yogurt-based drinks such as lassi work best of all because they add acidity as well.