Panang curry – actual deal, from scratch

This can be a actual Panang Curry recipe for curry connoisseurs who adore genuine Thai meals and may deal with the warmth! It’s made utilizing a do-it-yourself Panang Curry paste which is simple to make however will probably name for a visit to the Asian retailer. However when you actually need one of the best, it’s value it. You’ll be able to’t get good Panang curry in jars!

Make this creamy coconut Panang curry with both prawns/shrimp or rooster. Each are nice!

I solely make Panang curry from scratch

This can be a recipe for Thai Panang curry that’s fully constructed from scratch, together with a do-it-yourself Panang curry paste. Whereas I’ll fortunately make Thai Pink and Inexperienced curry utilizing my favorite curry paste from a jar, nothing compares to a Panang Curry paste while you make it your self from contemporary substances!

Even the Panang curry paste by my favorite Maesri model falls too brief in comparison with do-it-yourself. Effectively, possibly that’s going too far. It makes a tasty sufficient curry. However not an actual deal Panang curry!

What Panang curry tastes like

Panang Curry tastes like a extra intense model of Thai Pink Curry. Whereas it has related substances, Panang curry is a bit stronger, richer, sweeter and thicker than Pink Curry, in addition to barely nutty because of the addition of floor peanuts within the paste.

Panang curry is spicy. Take care of it!

Panang curry is spicy. However not like most different curry recipes, you can not cut back the spiciness with out dropping flavour as a result of chillies are the important thing ingredient for Penang curry sauce.

How spicy, you ask? Thais would class this Panang curry as medium or “not so spicy”. For Westerners, it’s most likely getting up in the direction of scorching. However not volcanic. Basic consensus amongst my group is that it’s a 7 out of 10 on the spicy scale. The one different curry on my web site that hits this degree of spiciness is Vindaloo, if that’s a helpful comparable for you.

So when you can’t deal with spicy meals, I recommend you give Panang Curry a miss and make a milder Thai Yellow Curry or Massaman Curry as a substitute!

* Spiciness testing: My group and I labored on this Panang curry recipe a LOT. We did so many variations to emphasize check the spiciness and we’re all in settlement that when you cut back the chillis to cut back spiciness, you lose flavour and it’s not Panang curry. We ended up making a recipe utilizing milder Chinese language chillies slightly than spicy Thai ones, to get sufficient sauce flavour with out blowing our heads off.

OK, due warning on the subject of spiciness given. On to the recipe!

Panang curry substances

First, I’ll run via the attractive contemporary substances for the do-it-yourself Panang curry paste. Then all the good things that goes within the curry!

Panang curry paste substances

There’s a good few Asian particular substances right here, however acquainted substances to those that have made different do-it-yourself Thai curries. Particularly, Thai Pink Curry – as a result of the substances are just about the identical!

It’ll require a visit to the Asian retailer, although you possibly can truly get all the pieces at Harris Farms and the bigger grocery shops in Australia, except shrimp paste (however there’s an alternative to that).

• Dried chilli – Key ingredient, so mentioned beneath. Don’t get this flawed – you’ll remorse it! 🔥

• Lemongrass – Contemporary is finest however when you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste as a substitute.

• Galangal – seems to be like ginger however is extra citrusy and tougher. It’s fairly powerful so finest to grate to make sure your curry paste is easy, in any other case you threat lumps in your sauce. Yow will discover it in Asian shops + some grocery shops in Australia (Harris Farms and a few Woolworths promote it). Substitute: use the identical quantity of ginger + 1/4 tsp lime zest.

• Shrimp paste in bean oil – I exploit Por Kwan Shrimp Paste in Bean Oil, pictured beneath, the most well-liked one offered at Asian grocery shops right here in Australia. (Listed here are some on-line hyperlinks – for Australia and America). Substitute with 1 1/2 tsp belacan dried shrimp paste, roughly chopped (even offered at Woolies in Australia!) + 1 tsp oil + 1 tsp fish sauce + 1 garlic clove + 1 tsp miso, when you can – any kind). Use instead of shrimp paste in recipe.

• Kaffir lime leaves – Earthy lime flavour not like anything! Bought at Asian shops, Harris Farms & massive grocery shops in Australia. Freezes 100% completely – utilized in Thai crimson curry, coconut rice, Thai meatballs.

• Eschalot (US: Shallot) – Often known as French onions and referred to as “shallots” within the US. They’re like child onions, however with purple-skinned flesh. To not be confused with what some individuals in Australia name “shallots”, ie. the lengthy inexperienced onions. Substitute with half a crimson onion.

• Garlic – 5 complete cloves!

• Peanuts – That is what offers the Panang curry the signature peanut-y flavour. Beats utilizing a scoop of peanut butter any day!

• Dried spices – Cumin, coriander and nutmeg.

Dried chilli for Panang curry paste

Dried chilli is the important thing ingredient in Panang curry, for each sauce flavour and color. It’s also what makes Panang curry spicy. However when you cut back the chilli, you’ll lose sauce flavour. In order advisable above, when you can’t deal with spicy meals, it’s best to provide this a miss.

Chilli kind issues!! Use Chinese language dried chillies, not Thai or Indian! I do know it sounds unusual to inform you to not use Thai dried chillies however they’re SUPER spicy and in contrast to Chinese language chillis, they don’t cut back in spiciness a lot when cooked. Identical with some Indian chillies, like kashmiri. Let’s simply say my group and I put our our bodies on the road to determine this out!!

* Test label for nation of origin.* You need chillies from China. And despite the fact that the spiciness of Chinese language chilli varieties and types will differ, we discovered that the cooking course of on this curry reduces the spiciness of the chillies in order that they find yourself being the identical degree of spiciness – even utilizing Chinese language chillies labelled scorching and additional scorching.

The model I exploit is pictured above. It’s a quite common model right here in Australia and never that costly (~$3), offered in Asian shops and even some massive grocery shops.

Quantity to make use of – We want 1/2 cup chillies as soon as chopped, so begin with about 2/3 cup complete chillies. Dried chillies differ in size so the quantity you want will differ, from (say) 12 very massive ones to 40 small ones. Get massive ones when you can as a result of we have to deseed them and it’s a lot sooner to cope with 12 massive ones than 40 small ones.

Be sure you deseed totally – the seeds are the place many of the spiciness is!

The protein – rooster or prawns/shrimp

The bottom recipe requires contemporary, complete prawns/shrimp. It’s because I like so as to add my very own contact by repurposing the heads to make a straightforward prawn inventory to be used within the sauce. This underlines the candy, prawn-y flavours of this curry and catapults it into wow territory. Nevertheless, we’ve additionally made it with rooster and it’s extraordinarily good too!

In case you can’t get / don’t have / actually can’t bear the considered peeling your individual prawns, it’s okay, you should utilize peeled prawns and skip making the prawn inventory.

Rooster inventory? Sure! Retailer purchased fish/seafood inventory is admittedly not good. However rooster inventory is a lot better, and will get infused with prawn flavour from the prawn heads (which is the place many of the prawn flavour is!).

Panang curry sauce

Right here’s what you want for the sauce and different add-ins for the curry.

• Coconut cream – Extra intense coconut flavour than utilizing coconut milk, and thickens the sauce too. Full fats important! No level utilizing low-fat as a result of fats is the place all of the flavour is.

• Fish sauce – Supplies many of the salt within the curry, however with extra savoury flavour. We do add some salt too as a result of if we solely use fish sauce, it will get a bit too…nicely, fishy. 🙂

• Sugar – Only a contact, as a result of Thai meals is all about balancing the sweet-salty-savoury!

• Thai basil leaves – Contemporary herb utilized in Thai cooking that tastes like Italian basil with a slight aniseed flavour. Substitute with Italian basil.

Easy methods to make Panang Curry

The making half could be very straight ahead and fairly fast truly. The step that takes the longest is soaking the dried chillies!

Make prawn inventory – if utilizing prawns/shrimp

In case you’re making Panang curry with prawns/shrimp, get the prawn inventory going first. In case you’re utilizing rooster, you possibly can skip this step.

1. 15 minute simmer – Place rooster inventory, prawn heads and shells in a saucepan. Simmer for quarter-hour, crushing the heads from time to time with a potato masher to extract as a lot flavour as you possibly can.

2. Pressure the inventory and discard the prawn heads. We began with 1 1/2 cups of inventory, it is best to find yourself with round 1 1/4 cups. Prime up if you’re brief.

   Then set the inventory apart for five minutes to let the sediment settle to the underside. We are going to keep away from pouring that backside layer into our sauce.

Curry paste

1. De-seed chillis – Minimize the chillis in half then twist / faucet / use chopsticks to take away all of the seeds. Be thorough right here – the seeds is the place many of the spiciness is! I bought slack at some point and let’s simply say I severely regretted it.

2. Soak half-hour – Roughly chop the chillis then soak in boiling water for half-hour.

3. Drain and reserve the chilli soaking liquid. We can be utilizing some for the curry paste.

4. Blitz – Put the peanuts right into a jug simply massive sufficient to suit the pinnacle of a stick blender. Blitz right into a tough paste. Then add all of the remaining curry paste substances and blitz till easy. It solely takes round 20 seconds or so.

   Be aware: You can even use a small meals processor. You’ll battle to make this in a big meals processor as there may be not sufficient curry paste.

Making Panang curry

This half is sweet and fast – about 10 minutes from begin to end!

1. Sauté curry paste – Prepare dinner the Panang Curry paste for round 5 minutes till it darkens in color and isn’t moist and sloppy. This intensifies the flavour.

2. Sauce – Add the prawn inventory, being cautious to pour off simply the clearer liquid and leaving the sediment behind. If utilizing rooster as your protein, simply add plain rooster inventory/broth.

3. Add coconut cream, sugar, fish sauce and salt.

4. Add the beans then simmer for two minutes till the beans are half cooked.

5. Add prawns, stir, then simmer for an additional 2 minutes till the prawns are cooked. They cook dinner shortly – and can preserve cooking as we end it!

6. Serve – Then lastly, stir within the Thai basil leaves. Serve over jasmine rice garnished with chopped peanuts, chilli and extra Thai basil leaves!

So, with the large blue field of thanks accomplished, I hope these of you on the fence about making an attempt this may have the arrogance to make it understanding it’s been topic to additional thorough testing! We actually do suppose that is an distinctive Panang Curry. You’d be laborious pressed to seek out one pretty much as good aside from on the actually high tier Thai eating places. In Sydney, I’d solely suggest Lengthy Chim and Spice I Am.

Keep in mind – be courageous with the chillies! Go on, you are able to do it! 😉 – Nagi x

Watch how you can make it

Hungry for extra? Subscribe to my e-newsletter and observe alongside on Fb, Pinterest and Instagram for the entire newest updates.

Panang Curry – actual, from scratch

Writer: Nagi

Prep: 30 minutes

Prepare dinner: 30 minutes

Dried chilli soaking: 30 minutes

curries, Principal

Thai

Servings4 – 5

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. This can be a beautiful Panang Curry made fully from scratch. It is for individuals who adore actual Thai meals, can deal with the warmth and perceive that you just simply cannot replicate the contemporary flavour of an actual Penang Curry utilizing paste from a jar! Not even utilizing my favorite Maesri curry paste that I will fortunately use for Thai Pink and Inexperienced Curry.It requires a visit to the Asian retailer however after you have the substances, it is simple to make. See SPICINESS notice in notes part beneath – yep, it is spicy, and it will probably’t be prevented!

Substances

CupsMetric

For prawn inventory (shrimp):

Directions

Prawn inventory:

• Simmer – Peel prawns, reserving heads and shells. Carry rooster inventory to a simmer in a small pot on excessive warmth. Add prawn heads, carry again to a simmer, then cut back to low warmth. Simmer uncovered for quarter-hour, periodically crushing the heads frivolously with a potato masher and skimming off any orange scum.

• Pressure right into a jug, discarding heads. It is best to have simply over 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) of inventory. Depart undisturbed to let the sediment settle (~ 5min+).

Curry paste:

• Minimize chillies in half then faucet / squeeze out seeds (use a chopstick if wanted for cussed seeds). Discard seeds (spicy!). Chop chilli.

• Soak dried chillis in 2 cups of boiling water for half-hour. Drain in a colander, reserve soaking liquid.

• Peanuts – Put peanuts in a tall jar that comfortably suits the pinnacle of a stick blender (or use a small blender). Cowl the jar opening along with your hand and pulse till finely floor.

• Blitz paste – Add drained chillis and remaining Curry Paste substances, together with 1/4 cup of the reserved chilli soaking liquid. Mix, scraping down the perimeters as you go, for about 30 seconds till easy, utilizing additional chilli water provided that wanted to assist mix.

Cooking:

• Prepare dinner curry paste – Warmth oil in a big deep frying pan over medium-low warmth. Prepare dinner curry paste for 10 minutes, stirring always. The paste needs to be drier, darker, smelling fragrant and now not uncooked.

• Sauce – Add 1 cup (250 ml) prawn inventory, being cautious to pour off simply the clearer liquid and leaving the sediment behind. Stir within the coconut cream, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Combine within the inexperienced beans.

• Simmer for two minutes till the sauce thickens and the beans are half cooked.

• Add prawns, stir, then simmer for an additional 2 minutes till the prawns are cooked. Stir within the Thai basil leaves. The ultimate style ought to lean principally savoury and candy, and medium spiciness.

• Serve over jasmine rice garnished with chopped peanuts, chilli and extra Thai basil leaves!

Recipe Notes:

Be aware: That is an genuine Panang curry, so it’s spicy. Thai’s would class it as medium or “not so spicy”. For Westerners, it’s most likely getting up in the direction of scorching. However not volcanic. As a result of the sauce depends on the chilli for color and flavour, when you can’t deal with spicy meals, give this one a miss and make Thai Yellow Curry or Massaman Curry as a substitute!

---

1. Proteins – I believe juicy prawns go significantly nicely with panang curry, plus you get to re-purpose the heads to get free, bonus flavour into the inventory which makes this actually particular. If utilizing pre-peeled prawns, utilizing 350g/12 oz and skip the inventory making steps.
Rooster – Recipe works completely with rooster too! Use 350g/12oz, thinly sliced. Skip the inventory making steps, cook dinner rooster as per recipe does with prawns.
2. Rooster inventory? Sure! Retailer purchased fish/seafood inventory is admittedly not good. However rooster inventory is a lot better, and will get infused with prawn flavour from the prawn heads (which is the place many of the prawn flavour is!).
3. Use Chinese language dried chillies, not Thai or Indian! Thai dried chillies are SUPER spicy and a few Indian ones are too (like kashmiri) and don’t cut back in spiciness a lot when cooked. Test label for nation of origin. Although the spiciness of Chinese language chilli varieties and types will differ, I discovered that the cooking course of on this curry reduces the spiciness of the chillies in order that they find yourself being the identical degree of spiciness. Be courageous! Strive to not cut back the chilli an excessive amount of as a result of they’re additionally a key flavouring for the sauce. In case you can’t deal with spicy meals, I recommend skipping this recipe!
Dried chillies differ in size so the quantity you want will differ, from (say) 12 very massive ones to 40 small ones. You want sufficient so you’ve got 1/2 cup chillies as soon as chopped. Be sure you deseed totally – the seeds are the place many of the spiciness is!
4. Lemongrass prep – reduce the reedy finish off, we’re solely utilizing the white and pale inexperienced half, across the backside 20cm/8″. Trim root off, peel off reedy outer layer. Then grate utilizing a microplane, discard stringy bits left. Sub: Contemporary is finest right here however when you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste as a substitute.
5. Galangal – seems to be like ginger however is extra citrusy and tougher. It’s fairly powerful so finest to grate to make sure your curry paste is easy. Yow will discover it in Asian shops + some grocery shops in Australia (Harris Farms and a few Woolworths promote it). Sub: use the identical quantity of ginger + 1/4 tsp lime zest.
6. Shrimp paste in bean oil – I exploit Por Kwan Shrimp Paste in Bean Oil, the most well-liked one offered at Asian grocery shops right here in Australia. (Listed here are some on-line hyperlinks – for Australia and America). Substitute with 1 1/2 tsp belacan dried shrimp paste, roughly chopped (even offered at Woolies in Australia!) + 1 tsp oil + 1 tsp fish sauce + 1 garlic clove + 1 tsp miso, when you can – any kind). Use instead of shrimp paste in recipe.
7. Kaffir lime leaves – Earthy lime flavour not like anything! Bought at Asian shops, Harris Farms & massive grocery shops in Australia. Freezes 100% completely – utilized in Thai crimson curry, coconut rice, Thai meatballs.
8. Thai basil leaves – Contemporary herb utilized in Thai cooking that tastes like Italian basil with a slight aniseed flavour. Sub with Italian basil.
9. Leftovers will preserve for 3 days within the fridge or 3 months within the freezer. Hold basil separate – it degrades as soon as stirred in.
Diet per serving assuming 5 servings, excluding rice.

Key phrases: panang curry, thai curry

Did you make this recipe?I really like listening to the way you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Lifetime of Dozer

Getting fitted for a particular reader dinner arising subsequent week on the 4 Seasons resort in Sydney! YES, Dozer can be waddling round a ballroom in his tux. 😂 There’s nonetheless some tickets accessible – see beneath for info!

Tickets right here for a dinner hosted by Dymocks ebook retailer on the 4 Seasons Lodge in Sydney on Thursday tenth August. Ticket value features a 3 course meal developed with the Chef on the resort in collaboration with our very personal Chef JB, in addition to all drinks!