Dishoom's Taj Ballroom Toddy Recipe

A warming tipple for the festive season

22 November 2022

This Christmas, try your hand at this warming pour inspired by the energetic Bombay jazz scene – The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was where Bombay’s jazz age was born. Its famous ballroom played host to some of the best musicians from the West, and their self-taught and accomplished Indian counterparts.

Apple juice from concentrate is best as it provides the right level of sweetness to counter the punch of the Indian malt whisky, Amrut. If you can’t get hold of Amrut, use a single malt Scotch with a bit of body (but not overpoweringly peaty) and a high ABV – around 50% if possible.

SERVES 8

Ingredients

320ml medium-dry cider

200ml apple juice, from concentrate

40ml ginger juice (see below)

1 cinnamon stick

2 green cardamom pods

1 clove

120ml agave syrup

200ml Amrut whisky

A dried orange slice or a small

Strip of orange peel, to garnish

Method

For the Ginger juice

  1. To make this, grate peeled ginger root into a square of muslin placed in a bowl. Gather up the edges of the muslin and squeeze out the juice. You’ll need about 8cm ginger root to give 40ml juice (i.e. 1cm per 5ml).

For the cocktail

  1. Put the cider, apple juice, ginger juice and spices into a saucepan. Warm over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reaches simmering point. Let it simmer very gently for 2 minutes.
  2. Measure 25ml whisky into each cup or small heatproof glass.
  3. Pour 100ml mulled cider into each cup.
  4. Garnish with the dried orange slice or strip of orange peel and serve immediately.

For other Dishoom recipes, please see Dishoom: from Bombay with love, our cookery book and highly subjective guide to Bombay.

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