Thai Panang Curry
The much hallowed balance of salty sour and sweet, that is the key to an excellent Thai meal and the most delicious curry you’ve ever had. I was able to spend six months in Thailand where I had the pleasure of studying at different cooking schools. I was on a quest to uncover the recipe for a quick and delicious curry I could make at home. And here are the secrets I discovered…
The first is to use the Maesri brand of curry paste. The Thai chefs I spoke to said that this was they one they all used at home and loved it, and I have to agree. The second big tip is to use pure coconut cream – not one with any fillers. That can be hard to find, by Ayam and Aroy-D both make great pure coconut cream products. The last tip is to always use real kaffir lime leaves – lime juice alone will not give you the taste of Thailand you’re craving.
Ingredients:
- ½ to ⅔ of a 114 gram can of Maesri Panang Curry paste (depending on how hot you like it)
- 2 tablespoons of palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice (this needs to be freshly squeezed from a lime, not from a bottle)
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 500 grams of free range chicken thighs cut into bite sized chunks
- 350 grams of vegetables (your choice, but I love Thai or finger eggplants, french beans, or zucchini)
- 540 mls of coconut cream
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (you need to crush or tear them a little before adding to release the flavour)
- Handful of torn basil leaves
Method:
- Shake the container of coconut cream to blend the solids with the liquid, then splash a teaspoon of the cream into a large wok or frypan.
- Heat the frypan to medium-high.
- Add in the curry paste and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add in your chicken and stir till it is lightly browned.
- Turn down the heat to low and add in the rest of the coconut cream.
- Add in the sugar, fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves and stir till the sugar is dissolved.
- Cook the chicken (stirring occasionally) for 40 minutes.
- Throw in your veggies and simmer till cooked.
- Just before serving remove the kaffir lime leaves and stir in your lime juice.
- Sprinkle on torn basil leaves.
- Serve with jasmine, basmati, or wild rice.
- You can also put a bowl of Thai Pickled Cucumber on the table – it’s perfect with curries!
Note 1: You can exchange the chicken for any of your favourite meat, tofu or vegetables. You will just need to adjust cooking times accordingly. With something that cooks quickly, like prawns, I will make the sauce first and allow it to simmer for at least 20 minutes so the lime leaves have time to do their magic, before adding the protein.
Note 2: The amount of sugar and curry paste may take a little time and experimentation to perfect for your family. I always have a cup of warm coconut cream on the table as I like my curry hot, but my daughter does not, and so she can add the extra cream to cool down her meal.
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