Description
A flavorful and creamy Thai Panang Curry with prawns, enriched with toasted peanuts, aromatic kaffir lime leaves, and a blend of spices, served over steamed rice. This vibrant dish delivers the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, ideal for a delightful weeknight dinner or special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Peanut Mixture
- 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts
Curry Paste Mixture
- 1/3 cup Panang curry paste
- 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon water
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut or coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 medium red capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed
- 1.2 kilograms raw prawns, shell on (or 600 grams prawn meat)
- 1 tablespoon grated palm sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4-5 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 handful of bean sprouts
For Serving
- Steamed rice
- Sliced red chili
- Wedges of lime
- Fresh cilantro or Thai basil
Instructions
- Toast and Grind Peanuts: In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the peanuts while stirring frequently until they are golden brown. Remove from heat and grind them into crumbs using a blender or spice grinder.
- Prepare Curry Paste Mixture: Add the Panang curry paste, roughly chopped red onion, ground white pepper, ground coriander, and 1 tablespoon of water to the blender with the ground peanuts. Blend everything together until well combined to form a smooth curry paste mixture.
- Cook Curry Paste: Heat the peanut or coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the blended curry paste mixture and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and aromatic.
- Add Coconut Milk and Cream: Pour in the coconut milk and coconut cream, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let it cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Add Vegetables and Prawns: Incorporate the sliced red capsicum and trimmed green beans into the pan, bringing the curry back to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, then add the prawns. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the prawns curl up and turn opaque white.
- Season and Finish Cooking: Stir in the grated palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, bean sprouts, and half of the fish sauce. Continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes until the prawns are fully cooked through.
- Adjust and Serve: If desired, add a little water to thin the sauce to your preferred consistency. Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning by adding more fish sauce for saltiness, palm sugar for sweetness, or a squeeze of lime for brightness. Remove the kaffir lime leaves. Serve immediately over steamed rice, garnished with lime wedges, sliced red chili, and fresh cilantro or Thai basil.
Notes
- Use fresh kaffir lime leaves for the best aroma; if unavailable, dried leaves can be substituted but with slightly less flavor.
- Adjust the level of fish sauce and palm sugar to suit your taste preferences for saltiness and sweetness.
- For a milder curry, reduce the amount of Panang curry paste used.
- Shell-on prawns add more flavor, but you can use peeled prawns for convenience.
- To make this dish gluten-free, ensure the curry paste and fish sauce are certified gluten-free brands.
