Taste of Thailand: My Homemade Panang

One of my favorite ways to unwind and tackle my travel addiction is in the kitchen. With my most recent adventure coming to an unsatisfying close, I find myself dreaming of where I have been, what tomorrow will bring and where I will find myself wandering next. Therefore, to settle the cogs turning madly away in my mind I decided that tonight was the perfect night to make my favorite Thai curry, a Panang in order to escape to Thailand.

While I was in Thailand I took a cooking class, where I fell in love with Thai food. This particular Panang recipe is one I learned during my class in Thailand and have been cooking ever since, tweaking the recipe ever so slightly to better suit me.

The key to a good curry is the paste. Store bought curry paste is most certainly convenient and on a night where I have just come home from work and I don't have all day to prepare my meal I am definitely guilty of using a store bought paste. However, on a weekend, when I can relax and get lost in my cooking, I take the time to make the curry paste properly from scratch and when I do so, the Panang is to die for!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and find yourself transported far away when you finally get to sink your teeth into it. Happy Cooking!

Panang Curry Paste

The Odds & Ends
2 dried large red chilies
1/8 cup ground peanuts
1/4 tsp coriander root (chopped)
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp galangal (chopped) (can be substituted for ginger)
1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
1/8 tsp kaffir lime peel (chopped)
1/2 tbsp lemongrass (chopped)
1/2 tbsp shallots (chopped)
1/2 tbsp turmeric (chopped)
1/8 tsp salt

Get into the Grind
1. With pestle and mortar, grind dry spices (not chilies) into a powder.
2. Add chilies and continue grinding until a paste begins to form.
3. Add remaining ingredients grinding until you are left with a smooth paste

Panang Chicken Curry

The Bare Necessities 
1 lb of chicken (chopped into bite-size squares)
400ml coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp Panang curry paste (see recipe above or step 2 below for alternative)
1 tsp palm sugar
2 tsp fish sauce

Get Fancy
1/2 large red chilli (thinly sliced)
Kafir lime leaves

Let's Get Cookin'
1. Over low heat, boil 4 tbsp of coconut milk in a wok until oil appears on the surface.
2. Add Panang curry paste, stirring for 1 minute before adding chicken.
If you chose to go with a store bought curry paste as opposed to making your own, then simply use a Thai red curry paste and add a large tablespoon of peanut butter.
3. Stir the chicken, coating it in the Panang base until the chicken is cooked.
4. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and bring the curry to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Once the curry has begun to boil, add the palm sugar & fish sauce.
6. Stir until palm sugar dissolves
7. Allow to boil until the curry sauce thickens (feel free to add more curry paste to achieve a spiciness to your taste).
8. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.

Large red chilies and/or kafir lime leaves make for a tasty additional garnish

(I am a personally a huge fan of chicken Panang. However, you can substitute the chicken for beef or vegetables and achieve an equally tasty dish to transport you to Thailand.)