Homemade Humpday: Curry and IPA

Imperial Great Britain occupied the richly diverse, beautiful and vibrant people of India from 1858 to 1947.

However you may romanticize or villify that time period, two wonderful foodstuffs were born out of these two countries' complex relationship: coconut curry and India Pale Ale.

Curry was a product of imports. This blend of exotic spices with turmeric at its center woke up parts of the palate the Brits had never before accessed. Suddenly spices like cumin, coriander and fenugreek were readily available and fit well into a culture that took pride in a diet based on meat and starch. Chicken tikka masala, the quintissential curry dish on every Indian restauraunt menu in London is, in fact, British by design.

IPAs were a product of exports. British sailors making the long voyage around the cape to Calcutta and Bombay needed beer. To make the beer last the months-long trip sans refrigeration needed more preservative ingredients--AKA, hops. After spending many days at sea drinking a more bitter brew, the lads brought their tastes back home.

Together, the two hit every flavor humans can taste. Sweet and fatty from the coconut milk, heat and zest from the spices, and loads upon loads of umami in the curry. In the IPA, you get a different kind of heat from the booze, caramelization notes from the grains, and the gamut of bitter, acidic and floral from the hops.

At my house, coconut curry starts with this recipe, frankensteined from a newlywed cookbook to fit a pantry not as well stocked as the Food Network kitchen. The sauce is so flavorful that I have unabashedly licked the bowl clean. I like to serve curry over a steaming pile of white rice or naan bread. My version allows for myriad substitutions, while maintaining technique. If you feel like cracking open a Pumpking, add in some sweet potatoes, or finish the dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

But you can never go wrong with an IPA, American if you can and West Coast style if you're a hophead. Pictured above is Meetinghouse IPA, liberally dry-hopped with Centennial, Citra and Cascade. At 7 percent ABV, it's intoxicating in more ways than one.

Add this combo to your monthly dinner rotation. It's a match made in the colonies.

Pairing: Historic

Price: $

Post-dinner drink: Bombay Sapphire Gin & Tonic, extra lime.