Panang Curry with Beef (Gaeng Phanaeng Neua)
A thick, rich red curry with peanuts pounded into the paste: tender beef in reduced coconut cream, finished with fine ribbons of makrut lime leaf.
- Region
- Central Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Shrimp Paste, Palm Sugar
- Vegetables
- Makrut Lime, Dried Red Chillies
- Fruits
- Coconut
Ingredients
- Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and chopped
- Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, finely sliced
- Paste: 2 cm galangal, peeled and finely chopped
- Paste: 4 small shallots and 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- Paste: 2 coriander roots (or a small handful of stems), chopped
- Paste: zest of ½ makrut lime
- Paste: 1 tsp coriander seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- Paste: ½ tsp white peppercorns, ground
- Paste: 2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
- Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi) and ½ tsp salt
- 500 g beef chuck or brisket, sliced across the grain into thin, bite-size pieces
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 250 ml coconut cream (the thick part from the top of the can), plus 2 tbsp to finish
- 6 makrut lime leaves, central rib removed, very finely shredded
- 1½-2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1½ tbsp palm sugar
- 1 small handful Thai basil leaves (optional)
- 1 long red chilli, finely sliced, to garnish
- Jasmine rice, to serve
Panang is a dry-ish red curry: there are no vegetables, very little liquid, and the sauce is reduced until it clings to the meat. The paste is close to a red curry paste but softer and rounder, and the roasted peanuts pounded into it are what give the sauce its body and nutty depth.
The beef is simmered gently in coconut milk first so it is tender before it meets the paste. A homemade paste makes a real difference here, and our guide to making Thai curry paste from scratch covers the pounding order in detail. A bought red or panang paste also works if you fry it well.
Method
- Put the beef in a saucepan with the coconut milk and enough water to just cover. Bring to a simmer, then cook very gently, partly covered, for 50-60 minutes, until the beef is tender. Don't let it boil hard.
- Meanwhile, make the paste: pound the salt and soaked chillies in a heavy mortar until broken down. Add the lemongrass, galangal, coriander root and lime zest, then the shallots and garlic, pounding each addition to a paste before adding the next. Add the peanuts and pound until smooth, then work in the ground spices and shrimp paste. (A small blender works too; add a splash of the chilli soaking water.)
- Heat the 250 ml coconut cream in a wok or heavy pan over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles hard and the oil separates, about 5 minutes.
- Add 3-4 heaped tbsp of the paste and fry in the split cream for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is dark, fragrant and the oil turns red. Freeze any leftover paste.
- Season the paste with the palm sugar and 1 tbsp fish sauce and fry for another minute until the sugar melts.
- Lift the beef into the wok with a slotted spoon and add about 150 ml of its cooking liquid. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thick and coats the meat. Add more cooking liquid if it gets too dry.
- Stir in most of the shredded lime leaves and the basil, if using. Taste: it should be rich, salty and gently sweet, with the chilli warmth behind it. Add more fish sauce if needed.
- Spoon into a bowl, drizzle over the remaining 2 tbsp coconut cream and scatter with the rest of the lime leaves and the sliced red chilli. Serve with jasmine rice.
Cook’s tips
- Shred the lime leaves as finely as you can: roll a few leaves into a tight cigar and slice into hair-thin strips with a sharp knife. Thick pieces are tough to eat.
- For a quicker version, use thinly sliced sirloin or rump instead of a braising cut and add it straight to the fried paste with a splash of coconut milk. It needs only 3-4 minutes.
- If you use bought paste, pound or blend 1 tbsp roasted peanuts into it first to get closer to the texture of a homemade one.
Leonidas Georgiadis
Leonidas Georgiadis is the founder and writer of Aroy Mak Mak. He is from Greece, has been travelling in Thailand for almost twenty years and is married to a Thai wife, so Thai food is everyday family cooking in his home.
