Phanang Curry

This is one of our favorite types of curry…the addition of peanuts to red curry paste makes it a bit more rich. As with most curries any meat works well with this, but we like chicken or pork…and this is a pretty spicy one, but feel free to dial it back.

The recipe is adapted from the one we received at Siam Rice Thai Cookery School in Chiang Mai, Thailand

150g chicken/pork sliced into thin 1 inch pieces
1 TBS phanang curry paste (jarred or make your own…recipe below)
70g mixture of string beans, carrots & baby corn all roughly 1” in size
2 TBS coconut cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 TBS fish sauce
1-2 tsp sugar
2 TBS cooking oil (vegetable, safflower, palm…just not olive)
2 kaffir lime leaves
basil leaves & red chili for garnish

Add cooking oil and coconut cream in a wok on low heat. Add phanang curry paste, bring it to a simmer and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes

Add some coconut milk to stop the paste from sticking/burning

Add meat, stir vigorously until the meat is cooked.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar still on high heat. Add vegetables and kaffir lime leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are starting to soften but still crisp.

Serve over white rice and garnish with basil & red chilis

Homemade Phananag Curry Paste:

Typical Curry Paste Ingredients

10 dried red chilies boiled to soften and left to dry
3 TBS chopped shallots
2 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS chopped galangal (Thai ginger)
1 TBS chopped lemon grass
1 TBS Thai ginseng
1/2 TBS shrimp paste
1 tsp chopped kaffir lime peel
1 tsp fresh or dried corriander root
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 TBS roasted peanuts
1 tsp curry powder

Put all ingredients into a mortar & pestle (or food processor if you’re in a pinch) and blend well. The curry paste should be one consistent substance with a moist paste-like texture.