Vegan Panang curry using Red curry paste
Creamy, dreamy Thai panang curry makes a perfect exotic lunch/ dinner.
Equipment
- I use standard measuring cups to measure ingredients in my recipes.
Ingredients
For panang curry paste
- 4 tbsp red curry paste I use Thai kitchen brand, which is mild. Potency may differ if using a different brand.
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tbsp stem/roots of coriander/cilantro optional
- ½ tsp oil
Rest of the ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil preferably coconut
- 1½ cups coconut milk 13.5 fl oz can
- ½ cup water
- 200 grams firm tofu half a pack/about 2 cups
- 2 cups enoki mushrooms
- 2 cups bell peppers
- 2 cups loosely packed bok choy or any greens
- 1 cup loosely packed thai basil
- 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1-2 tsp jaggery or palm sugar or any other sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
Transform red curry paste to Panang curry paste
- On medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a pan on low-medium heat until fragrant. Take care not to burn the spices!
- Transfer toasted spices into a blender.
- Next, in the same pan, toast the peanuts in half teaspoon of oil until they are roasted. You can also use roasted peanuts instead.
- Transfer peanuts into the blender.
- Add red curry paste and garlic.
- Add the stem/roots of coriander/cilantro, if using.
- Blend everything together. If needed, add water just enough to help with blending.
- Panang curry paste is ready to use.
Prepare the curry
- In a pot, add coconut oil.
- Add in the Panang curry paste.
- On low heat fry the curry paste in oil for a minute. De-glaze the pot with a spoonful of water if curry paste sticks to the pot.
- Add white pepper powder and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the bell peppers/capsicum.
- Turn up the heat to medium. Mix and cook for a minute.
- Next add the enoki mushrooms. Mix and cook for about 30 seconds
- Go in with your choice of greens and mix.
- Season the vegetables with salt. Do keep in mind that the curry paste contains salt and you will also be adding soy sauce into the curry later. Add lesser salt than you normally would.
- Add coconut milk.
- Add soy sauce.
- Add in 1 tsp of your sugar of choice. Taste and add the second teaspoon if needed.
- Add water.
- Add cubed tofu and gently push the cubes into the curry taking care not to break them.
- Bring the curry to a gentle boil. Do not turn the heat to high as the coconut milk can get separated.
- Keep stirring the pot occasionally and simmer for five minutes on low heat.
- Taste and adjust salt, sugar and soy sauce to your liking.
- Add torn Thai basil and stir.
- After adding the basil you can turn off the heat or simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
- Serve Panang curry with Jasmine rice.
Video
Notes
- If you are unsure of the amount of red curry paste to use to suit your palate, start with a lesser amount. Once you add the coconut milk and water, do a taste test. If you need more, saute some more red curry paste on the side and add into the curry.
- If you happen to have lemongrass, you can add a teaspoon of lemongrass as well into the blender when making panang curry paste. Thai use the stalk of lemongrass in curries, not the leaves.
- Peel off the outer layers of the lemongrass stalk. Finely chop the inner tender part of the stalk and use that in the curry paste.
- Vegetables of your choice can be used as long as you think it will go well in this curry.
- De-glaze the pot with a splash of water when curry paste starts sticking to the pot.
- Do keep in mind that the curry paste contains salt and you will also be adding soy sauce into the curry later. Add lesser salt than you usually would.
- Add vegetables into the pot keeping cooking times in mind. First add the vegetables that take longer to cook and later add the other vegetables that cook quickly. This way, you can ensure to retain the crunch in vegetables.
- After adding coconut milk, do not cook on high heat as coconut milk can curdle.
- Procedure to prepare Thai red curry and Thai green curry remains the same. You only have to use red/green curry paste in place of panang curry paste.