thefeministwriterwhogoesmeh

Food has always been an important part of my life. Since I’d lived in a cosmopolitan suburb for little over a decade, I’ve always had a multitude of different choices when it came to food. From as far as I can remember, the pungent falafels with smooth tahini, the spicy and full-of-zest pad thai noodles, the thick, vibrant curries, full of warmth and richness, the heapings of rice and rotis, and so much more, have filled the safe container of my childhood. Food is an inspiration; to me, it reflects the best of what the world can become. It is an expression of unity at its best and shows us that a tightly knit culture doesn’t have just a single-faceted quality. 

You know that it’s good food you’re eating when it’s got a wonderful fulfilling quality, with that lingering feeling on your taste buds, making you long for more. I could go on and on about how good good food actually is, but then I’d be missing the point.

Curries are perhaps the most versatile food item that one could make (in my not-so-humble opinion). My Indian heritage has been almost defined by different forms of curries, some of them including the aromatic dal makhani, the spicy aubergine drenched in a slightly-more-on-the-saucy-side curry (from regional Maharashtrian cuisine), and the southern vindaloo (in Goa, it is made in more of a sauce than a curry, but in other regions like Kerala it can be classified as a thick curry). 

These are only some Indian curries. There is a wide variety of others but, unfortunately, they don’t come to mind (and plus, I ain’t an expert on curries). Now, when it comes to non-Indian curries, my favorites lie within the wide expanse of Thai cuisine. (Of course, there is a wide assortment of other non-Indian curries as well, and I am just hankering to get a taste of at least some of them at some point in life. Ugh. Thinking and writing about this stuff makes me so hungry.) 

Some angry stomach noises and subsequent monchings later…

So, thai cuisine. A few categories of curries stand out here; mainly the red, yellow and green curries. My all-time favorite remains the Panang (or Phanaeng or phanang), a type of red curry. It’s coconut milk-based, but has a rich gingery flavor, coupled with the alternative texture of crunchy vegetables. C’est formidable!

This is a recipe that I initially got off of Kate’s website, but I added my own condiments to enhance the flavor.

I made it today, and ended up with way too much rice. Oh well, more food for me to monch on.

P.S. ~ You might have to click once on the pdf, or else you might end up seeing only the ugly picture of the curry that I took.