Curry

It says "food" in my banner, so here it goes:

I love curry. A few days ago I decided to attempt to make some of it. I've always been leery of making Indian food. I've tried it in the past, and while the results were good, there was something missing.

So I did some searching around on allrecipes.com, made some user recommended adjustments, and came up with this:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (a red would go better, but I'm too cheap)
  
• 3 shallots, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons garlic-ginger paste
  
• 3 tablespoons hot madras curry powder
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch of garam masala
  
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
  
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 3 tablespoons of Indian "extra hot" chili pepper (if you do not like your curry hot, I recommend using much, MUCH less.)
• "splash" of IPA (optional/just for fun)

1. Heat skillet to medium and add curry powders, garlic powder, and paprika. Let toast, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, onions, shallots, and green peppers. Sautee until shallots and onions are browned.
2. Add chicken, yogurt, milk, bay leaf, ginger root, and garlic-ginger paste. Bring ingredients to a boil, then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add chili powder, garam masala, and IPA and simmer for an addtional 5 minutes.
4. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice and naan bread.

The recipe worked out great. Lots of hot spiciness and a rich creamy texture. I found it fitting to pair this with an IPA. The extreme levels of hop bitterness present in the style are able to compete with the insane heat of the curry. The beer I chose was the recently released: Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale.

Formerly known as simply "Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale", I first consumed this IPA at the Rogue Ales Public House in Portland, OR. I was surprised to hear on the McNellies Beer Blog that the beer is being distributed to the great state of Oklahoma. Previously, this IPA was only available on draft, and was rarely found outside the Pacific NW region of the US.

The beer competed with the curry nicely. The mouth-smacking bitter finish competed nicely with the heat of the Indian chili powder. As far as fresh-hop beers go, I still vastly prefer Great Divide's Fresh Hop Pale Ale. It's a much more aromatic brew. I felt the aromatics were a tad lacking in Sierra Nevada's brew. Also the caramel malts seem to muffle the hops too much for my liking.