Food Recipes Dinner Curry Recipes Panang Curry 1 Review This rich Thai coconut milk curry gets its distinctive flavor from the chile paste made with a robust blend of red chile, lime, galangal, garlic, shallots, cumin, and kapi (shrimp paste). By Alexandra Domrongchai Alexandra Domrongchai Alexandra Domrongchai is a food and travel writer based out of New York. With years of experience in the restaurant industry, food culture research, and as an avid traveler traveling she joins Travel + Leisure as a Commerce Writer where in addition to supporting the commerce team, she writes about all the best travel gadgets and more. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Amy Domrongchai Amy Domrongchai Amy Domrongchai is a chef and home cook based out of South Florida. She opened her first Thai restaurant in the 1980s, and continues to work in the kitchen at her family-run restaurant in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, Peppermint. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 22, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 1 hr 5 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 4 servings Panang curry, also commonly referred to as phanaeng or phanang, is a Thai curry named for the Malaysian island of Penang. According to its earliest records, this dish dates back to 1890, where it was known and referred to as phananeng. As the name suggests, this curry is believed to originate from Malaysia, a country to the north of Thailand but its origins are a bit murky. With flavors from Myanmar and India combined with indigenous Thai ingredients, it's become a national favorite. It gained popularity in Thailand's southern and central regions as merchants and migrants moved around for work, exchanging culinary customs and ingredients. Nowadays, it is easy to find Panang curry in street markets throughout Thailand and restaurants all over the world — typically accompanied by a nice heaping bowl of sticky rice. Despite being a variation of Thai red curry, Panang is considered to be a completely different dish. Though the two curry pastes have a lot of the same ingredients such as red chiles, lemongrass, and cumin in common, there are differences in their tastes and preparation. Red curry is referred to as the most versatile of the curries because its foundational ingredients lend themselves well to adaptation and alteration. Panang curry has peanuts, coconut milk and has fewer chiles, so is nuttier, creamier, sweeter, and milder than its red counterpart. That being said, if you are looking to boost some of the spice in your Panang, simply add more curry paste. It is, of course, the same paste that gives Panang curry its distinctive flavor — a robust, vibrant blend of red chiles, lime, galangal, garlic, shallots, cumin, kapi (shrimp paste), which can be purchased at Asian various grocers (the Maesri curry paste is one of the best). Important to note though, if using a pre-prepared paste, follow the can directions as the potency varies. Ingredients Panang curry paste 2 cups water 1/8 ounces dried red Thai spur chiles (6 to 8 [2- to 3-inch-long] chiles total), unseeded and stemmed (if you want a hotter paste, add more chiles) 2 (5-inch) New Mexico chiles (about 1/3 ounce total), stemmed and seeded 1 tablespoon white peppercorns 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 medium (about 2 3/4 ounces total) shallots, chopped (1/2 cup) 6 large garlic cloves 2 (16-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass (about 3 1/2 ounces total), tender white inner bulbs only, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons) 1 (2-inch) piece fresh galangal (about 1 ounce), peeled and chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 teaspoon grated lime zest (from 1 medium [3-ounce] lime) 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (such as Pantai) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Curry 1 pound flank, skirt, or strip steak, sliced very thinly against the grain 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, unopened and unshaken 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup Panang Curry Paste 4 to 5 (2 1/2-inch) Makrut lime leaves (about 1/16 ounce total), julienned 1 tablespoon palm sugar or granulated sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 (8-ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained 4 ounces fresh green beans, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces (about 1 heaping cup) 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (from 1 medium [about 7-ounce] bell pepper) 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves (about 2/5 ounce) Additional ingredient Cooked white jasmine rice Directions Prepare the Panang Curry Paste Place water, Thai chiles, and New Mexico chiles in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat; let steep, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chiles from pan and place in a food processor. Reserve soaking water. Cook peppercorns, cumin, and coriander in a small skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small heatproof bowl, and let cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Grind mixture into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add to chiles in food processor. Add shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, peanuts, cilantro, lime zest, shrimp paste, salt, and 1/4 cup of the reserved chile soaking water to chile mixture in food processor. Process until mixture just forms a slightly chunky paste, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (You will have about 1 1 1/4 cups of curry paste. If mixture is too thick to blend well, add more reserved soaking water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Transfer Panang Curry Paste to an airtight container, and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Prepare the Curry Sprinkle steak all over with salt, and set aside. Open coconut milk can without shaking or stirring. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream found at the top of the can, and place in a small bowl; reserve scooped cream and remaining milk in can separately. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok over medium-high. Add 1/2 cup Panang Curry Paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add lime leaves, sugar, fish sauce, and remaining coconut milk from can. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring often. Reduce to a gentle simmer over medium, and cook, stirring often, until bubbling and thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Add steak to mixture in wok; cook over medium, stirring with tongs constantly to separate steak strips, until meat is mostly brown, about 3 minutes. Add bamboo shoots, green beans, and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked through (it will no longer be red) and sauce has thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add basil and reserved 2 tablespoons coconut cream; stir together until well combined and basil is wilted. Season to taste with salt. Serve with rice. To make ahead Curry Paste can be stored in an airtight glass jar or container in refrigerator up to 14 days, or in freezer up to 4 months. Note To grind the spices by hand, you will need a solid stone mortar and pestle. Pounding is easier when you start with fibrous, sturdy herbs and then move on to softer ones. 1. After stemming and seeding dried chiles as needed, soak them in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Toast peppercorns, cumin, and coriander over medium until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer peppercorn mixture to a small heatproof bowl, and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. 3. Drain, rinse, and pat dry the chiles, and place them in the mortar with the salt. Start pounding in an up and down motion with a pestle until smooth. 4.Add the toasted spices, and pound until ground. 5. Add lemongrass and galangal to paste, and pound until smooth. 6. Continue pounding cilantro, peanuts, shallots, garlic, and makrut lime zest. 7. Finally, add the shrimp paste, and pound well until a smooth paste is formed. Use immediately, or store as directed. Originally appeared: October 2013 Rate It Print