Ever try Khao Suey?  I first had it at my friend Shavak’s 50th birthday party. A revelation. Such a strange and wonderful combination of tastes, textures and fragrances! Lemony tang. Crunchy nuts. Slippery noodles. Bright, colorful veggies. Tiny bowls of toppings you can add on your own. Flavours I couldn’t begin to untangle.

A mystery! Some say it’s Thai; others say Burmese. The recipes on the net are confusing and disappointing; the guy in the restaurant wasn’t parting with much useful information.

2012 in India held tragedy and rage for many of us and I have written enough about that for the moment.

But 2012 was also the year I unlocked the secret of making Khao Suey at home after many, many attempts and revisions. A little pocket of joy and delight in amidst the sadness and the pain.

Khao Suey reminds us why we love being alive.

And so here it is for all to share. (This is a vegetarian version – I can’t imagine that the non-veg one could ever be this good!)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 generous tablespoons red curry paste

3/4 cup each of: mushrooms | eggplant | broccoli

2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (2 soup cubes or make it from scratch)

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 lb fresh Chinese noodles or long=grain rice

Toppings:

salted, roasted peanuts

coarsely chopped fresh dhania (coriander)

chopped hard-boiled eggs

thinly sliced green onion

How to put it all together:

Steam the broccoli till just done. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy, wide pan. Lower the flame and add the garlic. Fry for 2 minutes, then add the red chili paste and mix well.

Add the eggplant and mushrooms, mix till well-coated and add the besan.  Stir well.

Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce and sugar.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for ten minutes. Add broccoli at the very end.

Cook rice or noodles just before you are ready to serve.

Arrange toppings in small bowls (add more as ideas occur to you! chopped sweet peppers. crispy, deep-fried onions and garlic flakes. baby corn) and encourage people to help themselves to the ones they want.

Khao Suey is such a labour of love and ends up looking like such a festival of color and joy I can almost forget my sorrows.

Make it tomorrow. Amaze your family. We are such stuff as dreams are made on.