What Is Thai Panang?
An authentic Thai Panang curry is fried in thick coconut cream as opposed to boiling, providing a thick, creamy, soup-like gravy.
It is a type of red Thai curry that is salty and sweet, with a nutty peanut flavor.
The name of the curry – Panang/Phanaeng, originates from my hometown, the beautiful island of Penang on the west coast of Malaysia.
And in most Thai restaurants, beef is the most famous choice, best suited for a Panang curry.
Main Ingredients for Panang Curry
- Beef
- Kaffir Lime Leaves
- Coconut Cream
- Palm Sugar
- Fish Sauce
- Coriander Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Galangal
- Lemongrass
- Shrimp Paste
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference between Red, Green, and Panang Curry?
Panang curry has ground peanuts, which isn’t used in red or green curries. Panang is also less spicy but sweeter than the red curry. As for green curry, it is sweet but not as sweet as the Panang. It’s spicier than Panang but not as spicy as the red curry. Furthermore, panang curry has the thickness that you won’t find in the other curries due to the coconut cream.
What Is Panang Curry Paste Made Of?
Thai Panang curry has a lot of delicious spices and herbs, adding to its delicious flavor. Read below to find the recipe.
How Many Calories?
This recipe has 611 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This dish is best served with white rice. For a wholesome Thai meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Beef Panang Curry
Thai Panang Curry with Beef - an authentic Panang curry fried in thick coconut cream, providing a thick, creamy, soup-like gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. beef sliced into about 1/4-inch thick (I use chuck roast here)
- 5 tablespoons oil
- 3 kaffir lime leaves thinly shredded
- 16 oz. coconut cream or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- salt and sugar to taste
Panang Curry Spice Paste:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2- inch galangal, chopped
- 1 lemongrass use white part only, cut into 2-inch length
- 1 tablespoon cilantro stems or roots
- 2 shallots
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red-skin roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste/ Belacan
Directions
-
1Blend all the Spice ingredients into a smooth paste.
-
2
Heat up oil in a wok, stir-fry kaffir lime leaves for 30 seconds. Mix in the Spice paste and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Turn the heat to medium and continue stir-frying until the oil slightly separates.
-
3Add the beef in and cook for 2 minutes.
-
4
Mix in the coconut cream and give it a quick fry for 1-2 minutes. Add in the palm sugar, fish sauce, stir well and cover the wok.
-
5
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is thoroughly cooked, tender enough to your liking. Salt or fish sauce, and sugar to taste.
-
6
Add some water if you prefer it saucier than a gravy-soup-like texture, or when it appears a bit dry. Dish up and serve with hot steamed Jasmine rice.
Perfect, wonderful
What kind of chili powder is used in this recipe? Thanks!
Any chili powder is fine.
Amazing recipe. Well done.
I have tried some of the other recipes on the site and they are equally good.
Keep up the good work
Hi Eddie, awesome. Please try more recipes on my site: https://reference.rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Thanks for such an aromatic paste recipe. I’ve just finished cooking it and despite being delicious, it is very saucy, not thick at all and very very spicy. Is it supposed to be really spicy?? Any suggestions on thickening my sauce and reducing the heat factor a bit! Thanks in advance.
Yes, it’s spicy but you can reduce the spice to your own taste. And yes, you can thicken your sauce.
I just tried this recipe and it came out great. I didn’t have any kaffir lime leaves on hand so I used lime zest instead. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I can never find kaffir lime leaves in my grocery store. So what is a good substitute?
there isn’t really one i think, it’s hard to understand why without smelling them. Try small asian grocery stores, I went to like 5 to find one