This panang curry recipe is easy to make and super delicious. I just had it in my favorite Thai restaurant last week for dinner and itching to try replicating it at home.

So I purchased the ready-made panang curry paste (also spelled as phanaeng and phanang) online but soon realized that it is not that hard to make from scratch since it is similar to another curry I have made- the Kapitan curry chicken. The main difference is there is no fish sauce, peanut, and kaffir lime zest in the Kapitan chicken recipe.

In the article, let me show you how to make the delicious panang curry recipe.

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1. How to make the panang curry paste

I will show you how to make the Panang curry paste from scratch in this recipe. Store-bought curry pastes are also available at the Asian store. However, you can control the spiciness of the curry and the ratio of ingredients in the paste if you make it yourself. 

Here is the list of ingredients to make this Thai Curry paste:

1. Red chilies-  You need some red chilies to make the curry paste. Most people would like to use dried chilies, which will give you an authentic flavor. First, cut the dried chilies in half and shake off the seeds. Then soak the dried chilies in water for 15 minutes to soften them.
2. Shallots- Shallots are not only providing flavor but also help to thicken the curry. You can use red onions as a substitute for shallots.
3. Coriander root- You also need coriander root to make the curry paste. We often throw away the coriander roots and only use the leaf and the tender stems for cooking Thai food. It is a clever way to use up every part of the coriander.
4. Lemongrass– Remove the green part and the tough section near the root. Remove the output sheath, which is fibrous, Then mesh and cut the white section into thin rings.
5. Garlic-  Peel a few cloves of garlic as part of the ingredients of the curry paste.
6. Kaffir lime zest- Shred some lime zest from the kaffir lime. It is available at my local Asian market. You may have to skip it if you are not living in Asia, as it can be hard to get outside Asia.
7. Galangal- Get an inch of galangal and peel off the skin. Cut the galangal into small pieces so that it is easy to blend.
8. Shrimp paste– It is widely used in different Thai food. It may smell awful, but it is highly umami if a small amount is added to other ingredients. We also have a similar shrimp paste in Malaysia, called belacan, in which the taste is nearly identical. You should be able to get Thai shrimp paste in the Asian markets.
9. The panang curry paste is similar to the Thai red Curry paste, except it contains cumin seeds, peanuts, and coriander seeds. You can replace the roasted peanuts with a tablespoon of peanut butter.
10. Season the ingredients with some salt and white pepper.

Steps to make the panang curry paste

The traditional way to make the curry paste is to use a mortar and pestle. It’s the best way to do it, but it’s time-consuming. So instead, I used an electric blender with added water to facilitate blending. It also produces a finer texture than mortar and pestle.

1. Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and roasted peanuts in the electric blender to pound them into powder.
2. Next, add the lemongrass, galangal, and chili, and continue blending with some additional water.
3. Finally, place the remaining ingredients as indicated in the ingredient list into the blender, and continue blending until it becomes a smooth paste.

I can keep the curry paste in an airtight container and refrigerate it for four or five days. You can store Panang curry paste in the freezer without significant taste deterioration for up to two to three months.

2. How to cook panang chicken urry

You can use chicken breast, thigh meat, beef or pork, or shrimp to prepare this curry. I’m making the curry with deboned chicken thighs today.

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make the curry

1. Heat a quarter cup of coconut cream over low to medium heat in a pan. Cook the coconut cream over medium heat until it reduces to half and the oil separates from the cream.
2. Add the curry paste to the coconut oil and continue sauteing until it turns automatic. You will notice that the volume of the curry paste will slowly reduce, and the oil will eventually seep out from the curry paste.
3. Season the curry with some palm sugar. Alternatively, you can use brown sugar as a substitute.
4. Return the chicken thigh fillets to the pan and mix well with the chili paste. Cook the chicken for a while to let the chicken absorb the flavor from the chili paste.
5. Add a cup of coconut milk, mix well, and bring it to a boil.
6. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until it becomes a thick gravy.
7. Season with fish sauce, and garnish with some chilies slices.
8. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and top with some finely shredded kaffir lime leaves.
9. Garnish with some fresh coconut milk
10. It is best to serve with steamed rice.

Note:

• Rolling up the kaffir lime leaves is the easiest way to cut them into fine julienne.
• Soy sauce is likely not required in this recipe because I am using fish sauce which makes it authentic.
• Use 4 tbsp of the curry paste for 250g of meat

More about cooking Panang Curry

• Panang Curry is served in most Thai restaurants around the world. Although it is easy to make, certain ingredients might be hard to find in countries outside Asia. The best bet is to get these ingredients from Asian grocery stores.
• It is best to serve with steamed Jasmine rice or brown rice.
• My recipe does not include red bell peppers, basil leaves, and bamboo shoots. It is my personal preference.
• You may also use an instant pot to reduce the time required to cook the curry.
• It is always best to use freshly pressed coconut milk to make the curry. Alternatively, you can purchase those creamy coconut milk in packets. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk for cooking, not drinking. It should have 20 to 25% of fat.

Other related recipes for you

If you like Thai food, here are my pick of other Thai recipes on this blog:

• Pad Kra Pao (stir-fried basil with minced meat) is a Thai street food with fantastic flavor, best for a quick lunch. This recipe is my choice for you if you like spicy food.
• Thai-style pineapple fried rice. It is very much different from other Chinese fried rice.
• You can order Pad See Ew in most Thai restaurants because it is so popular. It is fried noodles with soy sauce, but with a twist by adding fish sauce, groundnut, and chili peppers.

Yield: 4 servings

Panang curry recipe

Print

Panang curry is one of the most popular Thai curries. In the article, let me show you how to make the delicious panang curry from scratch.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A (The Panang curry paste)

• 5 dried chilies, soak and drain, remove seeds
• 1/4 cup of shallots
• 2 coriander roots
• 2 tbsp lemongrass, use white part only, cut into thin rings
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp kaffir lime zest
• 2 tsp galangal, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup of water

Ingredients B

• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 500g Chicken thigh fillets
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

The panang curry paste

1. Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and roasted peanuts in the electric blender to pound them into powder.
2. Next, add the remaining ingredients in A, and continue the landing with some additional water.
3. Continue blending until it becomes a smooth paste.

To cook the curry

1. Heat a quarter cup of coconut cream over low to medium heat in a pan until the oil separates from the paste.
2. Add the curry paste to the coconut oil and continue sauteing until it turns automatic. You will notice that the volume of the curry paste will slowly reduce, and the oil will eventually seep out from the curry paste.
3. Add the fish sauce to the curry.
4. Season the curry with some palm sugar. 
5. Return the chicken thigh filiates to the pan and mix well with the chili paste. Cook the chicken for a while to let the chicken absorb the flavor from the chili paste.
6. Add a cup of coconut milk to the pan, mix well, and bring it to a boil.
7. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until it becomes thick gravy.
8. Season with fish sauce, and garnish with some chilies slices and finely shredded kaffir lime leaves.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 509Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 1023mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 34g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 14/12/2022