When I was younger, my mom and I would have mom-and-daughter date nights, where she and I would go out to dinner – a rarity in our household – at a place of my choosing. Somehow, we always ended up finding the most delicious Thai restaurants, and getting Thai food quickly became “our thing”. When we moved to California, we continued the tradition, seeking out the best Thai restaurants all across LA and southern California. To this day, Thai food has become one of my favorite cuisines, not only for the nostalgia, but for their beautifully complex yet simple and healthy flavors.
When I’m not going out to eat Thai food, you can find me re-creating my favorite Thai dishes in the comfort of my home. One of the recipes I cook often is Panang curry, a mosaic of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors simmered together with canned coconut milk.
“The name ‘panang’ is actually derived from the Thai word phanaeng, and originated in central Thailand. The first mention of phanaeng curry is from a late 19th century cookbook and refers to a cross-legged cooking method for a whole chicken. In this traditional recipe, the chicken’s legs would be crossed so that it could be grilled upright and continually slathered in curry paste while cooking, then finished with coconut cream.”
– the buslife kitchen
Thai Panang Curry
Ingredients
- 14 oz Firm Tofu
- 1-2 tbsp Kosher Salt (if using table salt, use 1-2 tsp)
- 1 tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar
- 1 Orange (or Red) Bell Pepper
- 1/2 White Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger (chopped)
- 3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 13.5 oz Canned Coconut Milk (unsweetened)
- 1 Lime (juiced)
- 1 tbsp Peanut (or Almond) Butter
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/4 cup Thai Basil Leaves
- 1.5 cups White Rice (to serve)
Instructions
- If serving curry over rice, begin cooking your rice with a 1:1.5 ratio of rice:water.
- Prep your ingredients by slicing your onion, julienne your bell pepper, chop your ginger and garlic, and cube your tofu.
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat, then add coconut oil, tofu, bell peppers, onions, ginger, and garlic with 1-2 tbsp of Kosher salt (if using table salt, use 1-2 tsp).
- Once onions and garlic are fragrant and tofu starts to brown, add red curry paste, peanut (or almond) butter, and fish sauce. Stir until well-combined.
- Turn heat down to medium low, and add coconut milk, lime juice, and coconut palm sugar. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in Thai basil leaves. Serve over rice.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
