Sorry to disappoint before we have even begun, but no, this is not a post about some far-flung travels. Sadly.
This post is a tale of curiosity. A tale of how being intrigued by a flavour combination in something you wouldn’t normally expect leads you to give it a go, just because.
On one of my many Pinterest perusals I came across a drink called a Mumbai Mule, a take on a Moscow Mule but heady with the fragrant flavours of cardamom, cumin, coriander and ginger. In a drink. No, in a cocktail . . . of course I had to make it. These are flavours that I love and my interest was piqued. Wouldn’t yours be?
The original recipe used vodka for the alcohol, but given that one of my favourite tipples is a Dark & Stormy, I decided to use rum instead, creating a cross between a Mumbai Mule and a Dark & Stormy, hence the name Stormy Mumbai.
The syrup is easy to make – toast the spices and add them, along with a heap of fresh ginger and some sugar syrup, to a blender. Blitz, strain, chill and bingo! It smells amazing.
But . . . add it to a cocktail and things go a little topsy turvey and it starts messing with your mind. As you lift the glass to your mouth you get a whiff of savoury curry, then you take a sip and it is sweet from the sugar and has a warmth from the rum and ginger, tasting very much like a cocktail, and finally you get a fragrant after-taste. If you love all things curry flavoured, this is the drink for you.
However, I am going to be honest with you, as intriguing and interesting as it was, and I am certainly glad that I made it, this proverbial itch has been scratched. I think I would rather have a straight up Dark & Stormy. Mumbai, on this occasion, was maybe just a little too ‘stormy’.
Stormy Mumbai
Ingredients:
Syrup:
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- seeds from 5 cardamom pods
- 65g chopped fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Stormy Mumbai:
- 30ml rum
- 2 tbsp spiced syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- sparkling water
- ice and mint leaves to garnish
Method:
- Toast the spices over a medium heat until they start to pop, shaking them regularly to prevent them burning.
- Meanwhile mix together the sugar and boiling water, stirring until the sugar has more or less dissolved.
- Add the sugar syrup to a blender along with the ginger and toasted spices. Blend until as smooth as possible.
- Strain the syrup through a mesh strainer, pressing the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much as syrup as possible. Discard the pulp.
- Pour the syrup into a jug or small bottle and chill before using.
- To make a Stormy Mumbai, place some ice in a glass. Pour over the rum, spiced syrup and lemon juice. Stir to mix. Top up with sparkling water and give it another little stir. Garnish with a mint leaf or two.
© The Pink Rose Bakery 2015
The Pink Rose Bakery 
Ah, well, you had me at rum, ginger, cardamom and sugar. I think I’d pass on the cumin and coriander, but this sounds the perfect appetiser for a curry party!
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To be honest I think I would miss out the coriander and cumin too . . .
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Bit too savoury, perhaps, but the others are more aromatic and lend themselves to a sweeter drink. Definitely worth a try.
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