Bring on the Beer

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The Oktoberfest might be something that is quintessentially German, but that’s no reason one can’t have their own dos celebrating the amber-gold beverage. Recreate the mood with some of these dishes that are known to be a classic pairing with beer, with of course a dash of spice to liven up things.

Garlic prawns
The butter and garlic in this dish go very well with amber ales that enhance the nutty flavours.

Ingredients

500 gm of medium-sized prawns, shelled and deveined
1 small bulb of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp of butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a pan heat the butter and olive oil (using butter alone will cause it to burn at a high temperature), when it starts melting quickly add the garlic and continue stirring. As the garlic starts to brown, throw in the onions and sauté them. Add the prawns after this and stir continuously till they are done. Just before turning off the flame, add the red bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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Mini pizzas

Pizza and beer is one of those classic combinations, but making a pizza from scratch is a lot of work. Try this quick-fire route instead.

Ingredients

4 burger buns, cut horizontally into half
200 gm of chicken sausages, chopped
1 onion, cut into rings
1 capsicum, cut into rings
½ cup of tomato sauce
1 tsp of dried herbs
¾ cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tsp of Tabasco sauce
4 black olives, sliced
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Method

Mix the tomato sauce with the Tabasco sauce and herbs, keep this aside for about 10 mins. Now, spread a layer of this evenly across the burger buns and top it off with the sausages, capscicum, onion and olives. You can add tofu, paneer or any other vegetables or meat of your choice too. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top, drizzle some drops of olive oil on it and bake it in a pre-heated oven for 7-10 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius or until the cheese has just melted.

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Stir fried sausages with mushrooms
One of the best ways to pair food with beverage is to ensure that they are from the same country, which is what makes this combination such a winner.

Ingredients
250 gm of chicken sausages, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 green chilli, deseeded and minced
1 cup of button mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of sweet corn kernels
3 tbsp of tomato ketchup
1 tsp of soy sauce
Finely chopped spring onion greens to garnish
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the onion to this, when they begin to brown, add the garlic and green chilli. After this has cooked a little, lower the flame and add the sausages and mushrooms, keep stirring this till all the water from the mushroom has evaporated. Stir in the sauces and corn kernels, add a spoon or two of water if you find that the sauce is burning and sticking to the pan. Sauté this well and add the bell pepper just before you’re ready to remove it from the heat. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens and serve.

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Sweetened honey yogurt
Dessert and beer isn’t a pairing that’s too popular, but some varieties of this beverage like the one made from wheat helps to enhance sweet notes.

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh yogurt
3 tbsp of honey
½ cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped
Muslin cloth

Method

Spread out the muslin cloth and place the fresh yogurt in the centre, bring all the sides together and tie it together tightly in a way that all the water is squeezed out. Use a rubberband to hold it in place and keep the pressure constant. Hang this cloth with the curd for about an hour or two until all the water is out. Transfer the hung curds into a big bowl now, 4 cups of fresh curd may yield just about 1½ cups of hung curds. Add the honey to this and beat well to form a mixture of thick, silky consistency. Keep a tablespoon of the walnuts aside and stir in the rest with the curds. Spoon this mixture into small glasses, chill for about 30 minutes, garnish with the rest of the walnuts and serve.