Thai
Panang Curry
A thick Thai Panang curry with clingy coconut sauce, nutty red chile paste, tender sliced meat, and fragrant makrut lime.
4 servings · 50 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 12 dried Thai chiles, stemmed; use about 8 mild long red chiles or guajillos for body plus 4 small hot Thai chiles for heat, stemmed; use mostly mild long red chiles or guajillos, plus 4 small hot Thai chiles for heat
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp toasted coriander seeds
- 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
- 3 tbsp thinly sliced lemongrass
- 1 tbsp chopped galangal
- 1 tsp makrut lime zest
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro roots
- 1/2 cup sliced Thai shallots
- 1/4 cup sliced garlic
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, finely ground
- 1 tsp toasted shrimp paste
Curry
- 1 1/2 cups coconut cream
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/4 lb beef sirloin, pork shoulder, or chicken thigh, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 2 tsp palm sugar
- 6 makrut lime leaves, finely shredded
- 1 red spur chile, sliced
Directions
Pound the Panang Curry Paste
- Soak the dried Thai chiles in hot water until pliable, about 20 minutes, then drain well.
- Pound the soaked chiles with the kosher salt until coarse, then add the coriander seed, cumin seeds, white peppercorns, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, cilantro roots, Thai shallots, garlic, peanuts, and shrimp paste. Pound to a fine paste.
Build and Simmer the Curry
- Simmer the coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat until the fat begins to split and bead at the edges, 8-10 minutes.
- Fry the curry paste in the split coconut cream, stirring and scraping often, until darker, thick, and aromatic, 5-6 minutes.
- Add the beef sirloin, pork shoulder, or chicken thigh and stir until coated and mostly opaque on the outside, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk, Thai fish sauce, palm sugar, and half of the makrut lime leaves. Simmer gently until beef or pork reaches {{temperature:145°F}}, or chicken reaches {{temperature:165°F}}, and the sauce is thick enough to cling, 10-15 minutes.
Finish and Serve
- Finish with the remaining makrut lime leaves and the red spur chile.
