Dishoom Paanch – Cocktail of the Month
In Upper St Martin's Lane, London something rather exciting is happing. Dishoom, a concept that combines the magic of Bombay with the metropolis of London, is opening next month.
More than a café, more than a bar; the concept is much, much more than your average take on India. It is a café in every sense of the word - all day, casual, easy-going, international in its appeal and attractive to all when it comes to its offering and price point.
Dishoom brings a slice of Bombay to Covent Garden and along with it a cool selection of alcoholic tipples including a contemporary take on an Indian classic, Rum Paanch.
As stories go it is true to say the origins of the punch we know today come from India. Paanch, whose origins are Hindi and Guajarati (which Parsis speak), was made up of five ingredients: Arrack, sugar, lemon, water and tea.
The name and the drink was then adopted by sailors of the East India Company and brought back to England and the rest of Europe. The Dishoom Paanch is the perfect summertime punch.
Dishoom is the name for the old Bollywood sound effect produced when a hero lands a good punch, or when a bullet flies through the air. In India the term is used in the same way that we might say "mojo".
DISHOOM PAANCH
INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)
• 125ml good quality white rum
• 75ml Arrack
• 150ml coconut water
• 400ml pineapple juice
• 150ml mango purée
• 150ml chilled first flush Darjeeling tea
• 50ml lemon juice
• 50ml chai spiced syrup
• 3-4 sprigs coriander
• ½ fresh pineapple, chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced
METHOD
Add all the ingredients to a punch bowl and stir well.
Cover and chill for at least two hours, serve into highball or rocks glasses over ice and finish with a sprig of fresh coriander.
Robbie Bargh, director,Gorgeous Group020 7091 7492