Roasted dry chilies. Who said it was easy? But what's easy is the eater. π
In our family, especially my husband, we can't do without chili powder with fish sauce (not too much) and lime. Mix it with rice and hot omelet. That's all it takes to fill you up. (My husband is from the northeastern region and likes spicy food anyway.)
My mother roasts the chili powder herself. My mother doesn't like buying it from the market because it's not fragrant. Freshly roasted, put it in a jar and can be eaten for several days.
My husband can't do without it at the dinner table. On days when we open the lid, it's all gone. His face looks like a monkey's butt.
My mother is also very hardworking. It's not easy to roast it. Our house is not in the countryside. There's an open area, it's a townhouse next to each other. We have to be considerate of our neighbors. We have to move the stove outside to roast it. We have to choose a day when no one is home. Everyone is working. We also have to look at the wind direction. The smell is very strong. If the wind is facing the roaster, it will sting. Some people are allergic and sneeze badly. It may even die. It's true. I'm not kidding.
After roasting, we have to pound it or, if it's more convenient, blend it. Cleaning the blender is another hassle, but the consumer is at ease.
As you know, most Thais like spicy food. Every meal must have chili paste, fresh vegetables, and lots of spicy rice.
π
