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 home made Panang Curry paste which is simple to make however will doubtless name for a visit to the Asian retailer. However in case you actually need one of the best, it’s price it. You possibly can’t get good Panang curry in jars!

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

Panang curry close up photo

I solely make Panang curry from scratch

This can be a recipe for Thai Panang curry that’s totally constructed from scratch, together with a home made Panang curry paste. Whereas I’ll fortunately make Thai Purple and Inexperienced curry utilizing my favorite curry paste from a jar, nothing compares to a Panang Curry paste once you make it your self from recent components!

Even the Panang curry paste by my favorite Maesri model falls too quick in comparison with home made. Nicely, perhaps 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 Purple Curry. Whereas it has related components, Panang curry is a bit stronger, richer, sweeter and thicker than Purple Curry, in addition to barely nutty because of the addition of floor peanuts within the paste.

Freshly made Panang curry

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 shedding 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 in all probability getting up in direction of sizzling. However not volcanic. Normal 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 stage of spiciness is Vindaloo, if that’s a helpful comparable for you.

So in case 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 an alternative!

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

Close up scooping up Panang curry
Good shut up of that dreamy peanut-y, coconut-y and sure, spicy sauce!

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


Panang curry components

First, I’ll run by way of the gorgeous recent components for the home made Panang curry paste. Then all the good things that goes within the curry!

Panang curry paste components

There’s a good few Asian particular components right here, however acquainted components to those that have made different home made Thai curries. Particularly, Thai Purple Curry – as a result of the components are nearly the identical!

It can require a visit to the Asian retailer, although you’ll be able to 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).

Panang curry ingredients
  • Dried chilli – Key ingredient, so mentioned under. Don’t get this unsuitable – you’ll remorse it! ????

  • Lemongrass – Contemporary is greatest however in case you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste as an alternative.

  • Galangal – appears like ginger however is extra citrusy and more durable. It’s fairly robust so greatest to grate to make sure your curry paste is clean, in any other case you danger lumps in your sauce. You’ll find 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 take advantage of Por Kwan Shrimp Paste in Bean Oil, pictured under, the most well-liked one bought 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 bought at Woolies in Australia!) + 1 tsp oil + 1 tsp fish sauce + 1 garlic clove + 1 tsp miso, in case you can – any sort). 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 purple curry, coconut rice, Thai meatballs.

  • Eschalot (US: Shallot) – Also called 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 purple onion.

  • Garlic – 5 entire cloves!

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

  • Dried spices – Cumin, coriander and nutmeg.

Shrimp paste for Thai Yellow Curry
That is one of the best shrimp greatest. Finest flavour! However in case you can’t discover it, don’t fret – see the recipe for a straightforward substitute.

Dried chilli for Panang curry paste

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

Panang curry ingredients

Chilli sort issues!! Use Chinese language dried chillies, not Thai or Indian! I do know it sounds unusual to let you know 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 regardless that the spiciness of Chinese language chilli varieties and types will range, 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 stage of spiciness – even utilizing Chinese language chillies labelled sizzling and further sizzling.

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

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

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

The protein – rooster or prawns/shrimp

The bottom recipe requires recent, entire prawns/shrimp. It is 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. Nonetheless, we’ve additionally made it with rooster and it’s extraordinarily good too!

Panang curry ingredients

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

Rooster inventory? Sure! Retailer purchased fish/seafood inventory is basically 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.

Panang curry ingredients
  • 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…properly, 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 may 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’ll be able to skip this step.

How to make Panang Curry
  1. 15 minute simmer – Place rooster inventory, prawn heads and shells in a saucepan. Simmer for quarter-hour, crushing the heads now and again with a potato masher to extract as a lot flavour as you’ll be able to.

  2. Pressure the inventory and discard the prawn heads. We began with 1 1/2 cups of inventory, you must find yourself with round 1 1/4 cups. Prime up in case you are quick.

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

Curry paste

How to make Panang Curry
  1. De-seed chillis – Reduce 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 acquired slack someday 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 will likely be utilizing some for the curry paste.

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

    Observe: You too can use a small meals processor. You’ll wrestle 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!

How to make Panang Curry
  1. Sauté curry paste – Cook 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 prepare dinner rapidly – and can hold 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!

Freshly made Panang curry

One other RecipeTin group effort!

This recipe is a RecipeTin group effort, one which I’m proud to say we created from scratch ourselves, utilizing Panang Curry in Thailand and from actually respected, genuine Thai eating places right here in Sydney as our benchmark.

We referenced many recipes in the course of the course of our analysis, notably from extremely regarded Thai meals specialists together with David Thompson and Sujet Saenkham of the acclaimed Spice I Am eating places, and YouTube movies from Thai residence cooks. However we did lots of experimentation and variations of this recipe ourselves to reach at our remaining recipe, and make this a recipe accessible to individuals residing outdoors Thailand.

In reality, this Panang Curry was topic to better ranges of testing than normal, together with unbiased recipe testers, as a result of this recipe was earmarked for my cookbook. A curry chapter that was eliminated on the final minute as a result of my e-book was too huge!????

Anyway, I simply wished to place this huge blue field right here to acknowledge my groups’ efforts with this recipe, as a result of curries are arduous! Getting the spice steadiness excellent is tough, and also you by no means know what the ultimate flavour will likely be till proper on the finish. And due to the spiciness of this curry, testing it was further painful – we tried so many various chillies!

Particular shout out to my brother who was the driving power behind the event of this recipe, and Chef JB who’s in all probability made this curry extra instances than anybody else. We did it!

Bowl of Panang curry over rice

So, with the massive blue field of thanks completed, I hope these of you on the fence about making an attempt this could have the boldness to make it realizing it’s been topic to further thorough testing! We actually do assume that is an distinctive Panang Curry. You’d be arduous pressed to search out one pretty much as good apart from on the actually prime tier Thai eating places. In Sydney, I’d solely advocate 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 make it

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Panang curry close up photo

Panang Curry – actual, from scratch

Servings4 – 5

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. This can be a beautiful Panang Curry made totally 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 recent 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 Purple and Inexperienced Curry.It requires a visit to the Asian retailer however after you have the components, it is simple to make. See SPICINESS notice in notes part under – yep, it is spicy, and it may well’t be prevented!

Substances

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, convey again to a simmer, then cut back to low warmth. Simmer uncovered for quarter-hour, periodically crushing the heads evenly with a potato masher and skimming off any orange scum.

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

Curry paste:

  • Reduce 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 matches the top of a stick blender (or use a small blender). Cowl the jar opening together with your hand and pulse till finely floor.

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

Cooking:

  • Cook dinner curry paste – Warmth oil in a big deep frying pan over medium-low warmth. Cook 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:

Observe: 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 in all probability getting up in direction of sizzling. However not volcanic. As a result of the sauce depends on the chilli for color and flavour, in case you can’t deal with spicy meals, give this one a miss and make Thai Yellow Curry or Massaman Curry as an alternative!


1. Proteins – I believe juicy prawns go notably properly 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, prepare dinner rooster as per recipe does with prawns.
2. Rooster inventory? Sure! Retailer purchased fish/seafood inventory is basically 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 range, 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 stage 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 range in size so the quantity you want will range, from (say) 12 very massive ones to 40 small ones. You want sufficient so you’ve 1/2 cup chillies as soon as chopped. Be sure you deseed completely – the seeds are the place many of the spiciness is!
4. Lemongrass prep – lower 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 greatest right here however in case you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste as an alternative.
5. Galangal – appears like ginger however is extra citrusy and more durable. It’s fairly robust so greatest to grate to make sure your curry paste is clean. You’ll find 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 take advantage of Por Kwan Shrimp Paste in Bean Oil, the most well-liked one bought 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 bought at Woolies in Australia!) + 1 tsp oil + 1 tsp fish sauce + 1 garlic clove + 1 tsp miso, in case you can – any sort). 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 purple 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 hold for 3 days within the fridge or 3 months within the freezer. Maintain basil separate – it degrades as soon as stirred in.
Vitamin per serving assuming 5 servings, excluding rice.

Lifetime of Dozer

Getting fitted for a particular reader dinner developing subsequent week on the 4 Seasons lodge in Sydney! YES, Dozer will likely be waddling round a ballroom in his tux. ???? There’s nonetheless some tickets accessible – see under for data!

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



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