Curried Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I have been sooo excited to try this recipe! I found it on Closet Cooking a few months ago when I was seeking banana recipes, and tucked it away for the perfect time to try it - didn't want to be rushed, wanted to focus, so I waited until after the move. Not that the recipe is complicated, but that I am.I love curry and cuisines where it is found - East Indian, Asian, West Indian. I've had it hot and mild but never dessert-sweet, and I was thrilled at the prospect. Also Closet Cooking's author Kevin lives in Toronto, the city where I was an LDS missionary for a year and a half, and with which I have so many food associations, many of them involving curry. Thinking of Toronto and curry at the same time sends me hurtling into memories of streets, faces, apartment building hallways, living rooms and kitchens, and I get that same nervous-excited stomach feeling as when I was knocking on a door for the first time, or listening to someone's amazing life story while eating curry and roti with our hands. So this loaf is a little more special to me than others.I know 1 1/2 Tablespoons sounds like a lot, but it's not - just enough to be exotic, and curry lends itself to sweetness surprisingly well. In fact, once the bread cools you can barely taste it. But it's olofactory heaven while baking, especially in my awesome new house whose open floor plan allows aromas to waft freely up three floors. I know I can't just go throwing curry in everything I make now, but I think there is a place for curry sweet rolls or something else to try soon. And of course this will be making a showing at next year's bake sale!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/2 T curry powder
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x5 or 10x5 loaf pan with cooking spray and a little flour.

2. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and curry in a large bowl.

3. Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Stir in the eggs, sour cream and banana.

4. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

5. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.