Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)
This classic Thai curry features a sweet, salty and zesty sauce, with many layers of rich flavour and spice
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 2 persons
Ingredients
- 400ml can coconut milk (don’t shake to combine)
- 1-2 tbsp panang curry paste (see below)
- 200g chicken breast , thinly sliced
- 100g French beans , halved
- 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1-2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2makrut lime leaves , central woody stem removed, finely shredded
- handful of Thai basil leaves
- cooked jasmine rice , to serve
- ½large red chilli , thinly sliced, to serve
- 4large dried red chillies , sliced
- 6large fresh red chillies , sliced
- 1tsp shrimp paste (or miso paste)
- 4garlic cloves , chopped
- 1tbsp galangal , finely sliced
- 1tbsp lemongrass , finely sliced
- 2limes zested (around 1 tsp zest)
- 1tsp ground white pepper
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1tsp ground nutmeg
- 2tbsp peanuts
Instructions
Step 1
First, make the curry paste. Use a pestle and mortar to pound together the dried and fresh chillies, shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and peanuts, plus 1 tsp salt. You should have a rough paste. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a food processor along with 2-3 tbsp of coconut milk and pulse until you have a paste. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge. Will keep for up to two weeks.Step 2
Add 2-3 tbsp of the thick part of the coconut milk into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. When the coconut milk starts bubbling, add 1-2 tbsp of the curry paste and stir well for about 1 min, until fragrant.Step 3
Stir in the chicken and let it cook for about 3-4 mins until beginning to brown all over. Follow with the French beans and stir well.Step 4
Season with the fish sauce and sugar, then add the rest of coconut milk. Mix well, add half the makrut lime leaves and simmer for 3-5 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and add more sugar or fish sauce if necessary – it should be salty and nutty, and the sweetness should come through. Add the Thai basil leaves, give it a quick mix and take off the heat. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, garnished with the sliced chilli and the rest of the makrut lime leaves.