Name: Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 400ml can coconut milk (don’t shake to combine); 1-2 tbsp panang curry paste (see below); 200g chicken breast thinly sliced; 100g French beans halved; 2-3 tbsp fish sauce; 1-2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar; 2 makrut lime leaves central woody stem removed, finely shredded; handful of Thai basil leaves; cooked jasmine rice to serve; ½ large red chilli thinly sliced, to serve; 4 large dried red chillies sliced; 6 large fresh red chillies sliced; 1 tsp shrimp paste (or miso paste); 4 garlic cloves chopped; 1 tbsp galangal finely sliced; 1 tbsp lemongrass finely sliced; 2 limes zested (around 1 tsp zest); 1 tsp ground white pepper; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 2 tbsp peanuts

Bowls of panang chicken curry on a tabletop

400ml can coconut milk
(don’t shake to combine)
1-2 tbsp panang curry paste
(see below)
200g chicken breast
thinly sliced
100g French beans
halved
2-3 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp palm sugar
or brown sugar
2 makrut lime leaves
central woody stem removed, finely shredded
handful of Thai basil leaves
cooked jasmine rice
to serve
½ large red chilli
thinly sliced, to serve

For the panang curry paste (makes 225g)

4 large dried red chillies
sliced
6 large fresh red chillies
sliced
1 tsp shrimp paste
(or miso paste)
4 garlic cloves
chopped
1 tbsp galangal
finely sliced
1 tbsp lemongrass
finely sliced
2 limes
zested (around 1 tsp zest)
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp peanuts

Method

step 1
First, make the curry paste. Use a pestle and mortar to pound together the dried and fresh chillies, shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and peanuts, plus 1 tsp salt. You should have a rough paste. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a food processor along with 2-3 tbsp of coconut milk and pulse until you have a paste. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge. Will keep for up to two weeks.
step 2
Add 2-3 tbsp of the thick part of the coconut milk into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. When the coconut milk starts bubbling, add 1-2 tbsp of the curry paste and stir well for about 1 min, until fragrant.
step 3
Stir in the chicken and let it cook for about 3-4 mins until beginning to brown all over. Follow with the French beans and stir well.
step 4
Season with the fish sauce and sugar, then add the rest of coconut milk. Mix well, add half the makrut lime leaves and simmer for 3-5 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and add more sugar or fish sauce if necessary – it should be salty and nutty, and the sweetness should come through. Add the Thai basil leaves, give it a quick mix and take off the heat. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, garnished with the sliced chilli and the rest of the makrut lime leaves.