Panang Curry Recipe

homemade panang curry served with white rice.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: panang curry

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Make Panang Curry at home with this easy recipe! It uses simple ingredients but tastes like it came from a restaurant.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ red onion , sliced
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 garlic clove , minced
1 inch knob fresh ginger , minced
4 teaspoons red curry paste (see notes)
1 (15 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice , plus the zest from the lime
1 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch (optional thickener)
¼ cup fresh cilantro or basil , chopped
1 pound baked tofu (or cooked protein of choice)
chopped peanuts , for garnish

Instructions

Drizzle the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and bell peppers until they start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger into the pan. Add the curry paste and stir briefly, about 1 minute.
Next, add the whole can of coconut milk, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, the zest from one lime, the tablespoon of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir well, breaking up any visible clumps of curry paste or peanut butter. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
While you wait on the sauce to simmer, add the 2 teaspoons of arrowroot or cornstarch to a ½ cup of water in a small bowl. Use a whisk or fork to stir until the starch has dissolved, then pour the mixture into the simmering sauce. This will thicken the sauce slightly, but this step is optional. If you want to skip the starch, add ½ cup of water to the sauce for a runnier consistency.
Add the freshly chopped basil or cilantro, along with your favorite cooked protein, and stir until the herbs have wilted. Now taste and adjust the flavor of the sauce. I usually add another tablespoon of maple syrup, because Panang curry is on the sweeter side, and another ¾ teaspoon of fine sea salt, but this will vary based on your taste buds and the type of salt you use. (White table salt will taste different than kosher salt or pink salt.) Note: Add ¼ teaspoon of salt at a time until the sauce tastes flavorful, and remember it will be diluted slightly when served over rice.
Once you're happy with the flavor, serve this panang curry over cooked rice and garnish it with chopped peanuts and extra herbs, if you like. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings, assuming you use extra-firm tofu in the sauce. The protein per serving will be much higher if you use 1 pound of chicken, instead. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, so it's just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Curry Paste Note: This recipe tastes best when you use Mekhala red curry paste. I found it at Whole Foods, but you can also order it online. Making this with Thai Kitchen's red curry paste won't be nearly as flavorful. See the full post above for the other curry paste I tested with this recipe.

Sweetener Note: I use maple syrup to keep this recipe vegan and naturally sweetened. Brown sugar can be swapped, or you can use honey if you don't need a vegan dish.

Nutrition