A thick, rich, and creamy curry with a velvety coconut sauce clinging to tender slices of beef, garnished with shredded kaffir lime leaves and red chilies. Panang is the most luxurious of Thai curries, with a concentrated flavor that needs no broth.
Ingredients
400ml coconut cream
3 tablespoons panang curry paste
500g beef sirloin, thinly sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, 2 torn and 2 finely shredded
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 Thai bird chilies, sliced
Fresh Thai basil for garnish
Instructions
1Heat half the coconut cream in a wok over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for five minutes until it cracks and separates, with the oil floating visibly on the surface of the cream.
2Add panang curry paste to the cracked coconut cream and fry for three minutes, stirring vigorously, until the paste is deeply fragrant and the oil from the coconut turns reddish-orange.
3Add sliced beef to the wok and cook for three minutes, tossing to coat every piece with the curry paste, until the meat is just sealed on the outside but still pink in the center.
4Pour in the remaining coconut cream, add torn kaffir lime leaves and ground peanuts, then simmer for fifteen minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick, glossy consistency that coats the meat.
5Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, add bell pepper slices, and cook for another five minutes, adjusting the sweet-salty balance until the curry has a rich, rounded flavor profile.
6Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a spoonful of fresh coconut cream, then garnish with finely shredded kaffir lime leaves, sliced red chilies, and a scattering of Thai basil leaves.
Did You Know?
The word 'Panang' is believed to derive from the Malay island of Penang, suggesting the curry's origins lie in the culinary exchange between Thailand and Malaysia. Panang curry paste contains roasted peanuts, which is unusual among Thai curries.