Something Hot on a Rainy Day

Outside the roads were slick with wetness. Every house unto itself, blanketted by water.I could not stand to wait for the storm to flee, even as the sun has gone slowly, shade by shade. So I took to cooking dinner, something fiery to shake off the lethargy of wet winds.

I scrounged for whatever is available in the house: some pork, green chilis, a red bell pepper on the verge of withering, some onions, eggplants and discovered a sachet of thai green curry paste to experiment with. Cooking by taste, inventing the recipe as I go from one food prep step to another.

Saute the onions, add the pork, saute until pork is slightly browned. Remove excess oil. Add a cup of instant coconut cream ( powder diluted in a cup of water). Allow to boil. Add the sliced green chilis and red bell pepper. Add a few tbsps. of the thai green chili paste ( this is to taste, depending on your spice tolerance, our family loves it fiery hot), And simmer for about 30 minutes. Add some sugar and basil to add some balance to the creamy hot savouriness of the coconut curry sauce, for that complex tug of sweet/salty/hot flavors that thai food is known for. Simmer for 15 minutes. During the last five minutes of cooking, add two eggplants, julliened into bite sized pieces.

As the rain let on, the four of us sat quietly at the table, water glasses on the ready. Yes it was fiery, but comforting. Something sharp yet delicious, how each bite is a slight burn, cloaked in creamy smoothness. Pain and pleasure, something hot on a rainy day.