Panang (not Penang) is one of many red curries of Thai cuisine. The major difference is the addition of the ground roasted peanut for creamier texture, and the sauce is thicker than the other Thai curries. Traditionally the curry is made with sliced beef; Panang Neua. The beef is pre-cook gently in diluted coconut milk to tenderise. But you can quickly make Panang curry with any choice of meat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1-2 Tbsp Panang curry paste
- 200g chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
- 1+1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp palm sugar
- 1 red Spur chilli, sliced
- 1 Tbsp ground roasted peanut
- 3-4 Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced as garnish
Directions
- Add 1/4 cup of thick coconut milk in a wok, over low heat. Add curry paste and stir fry while slowly adding the remaining coconut milk. Take care not to burn the paste or let it dry out. Fry until the paste releases the spice aroma.
- Add the chicken; stir fry until almost cooked through. Add half the stock (adjust to make the consistency you prefer. It is traditionally much thicker than normal Thai curry), stir and bring to a boil or until the chicken is well cooked through.
- Season with fish sauce and palm sugar.
- Add the sliced red Spur chilli and Kaffir lime leaf. Stir a couple of times to release the aroma. Turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle with more Kaffir lime leaves and some ground roasted peanut to serve.
