My absolute go-to food is one I seldom eat, but I will whip up a batch occasionally. It’s easy to make, and it absolutely soothes my nerves. It’s not for everyone, it’s a bit spicy, but it’s helped me through some rough times.
That food is namya. It’s Thai food, a light coconut curry sauce with fish to be served over rice noodles with cilantro. I think I’ve just lost some of my readers, what with cilantro and fish curry. But it’s flavorful and soothing, almost like chicken soup, but with a touch of spice.
As I said, it’s easy to make. take a can of coconut milk and pour it in a pan. Add a half-can of water. Put in a tablespoon of fish sauce, a tablespoon of red curry paste, some lime leaves, a chunk of dried galangal (if you have it), and sometimes I put in chopped cilantro stems. add leftover cooked fish or cooked ground turkey and simmer until hot and the flavors have melded a bit. Serve over rice noodles with cilantro.
You can use more curry paste if you want it richer, but that will also mean hotter (which is why you throw the other herbs in it instead). A trip to an Asian food store is a must before making this for the curry paste (although there is a brand of milder curry paste in US stores), lime leaves, and galangal.
This is my favorite comfort food. Often, however, I settle for something more mundane, like chicken soup.
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