Authentic Thai Panang Beef Curry
An authentic, rich, and velvety Thai Panang beef curry (Gaeng Panang Neua) characterized by its thick, nutty coconut gravy, tender beef slices, fragrant makrut lime leaves, and a harmonious balance of salty, sweet, and mild heat.
Ingredients
- •1.25 lb beef sirloin or flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain into bite-sized strips
- •1.5 cup thick coconut cream (preferably high-fat canned or fresh)
- •0.5 cup coconut milk
- •3 tablespoon authentic Panang curry paste
- •2 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts, finely crushed or pounded
- •1.5 tablespoon palm sugar, finely shaved
- •2 tablespoon fish sauce
- •6 fresh makrut lime leaves, central stems removed and sliced into paper-thin threads
- •1 large fresh red spur chili (prik chi fa) or red Fresno chili, julienned lengthwise
Instructions
- 1.
Spoon 1/2 cup of the thick coconut cream into a wide skillet or wok over medium heat. Simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream reduces and splits ('cracks'), releasing clear coconut oil droplets on the surface.
- 2.
Add the Panang curry paste to the separated coconut oil and cream. Fry over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking up the paste until it becomes deeply aromatic, glossy, and takes on a rich brick-red color.
- 3.
Add the thinly sliced beef and finely crushed peanuts to the pan. Toss and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the beef is well coated in the curry paste and partially cooked on the edges.
- 4.
Pour in the remaining 1 cup of coconut cream and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Reduce heat to low and let the curry simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick, luscious coating consistency.
- 5.
Season the curry with palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir gently until the sugar has fully dissolved. Taste and adjust if necessary; authentic Panang should be savory, rich, mildly sweet, and lightly spicy.
- 6.
Stir in two-thirds of the julienned makrut lime leaves and half of the red chili strips, simmering for just 30 seconds to release their fragrant essential oils into the sauce.
- 7.
Transfer the curry to a shallow serving bowl. Garnish the top with the remaining fine makrut lime leaf shreds and julienned red chilies. Serve immediately with warm steamed jasmine rice.
Tips
- 💡Unlike Green or Red Thai curries, Panang is intentionally thick and rich—the sauce should coat the meat heavily rather than being soupy.
- 💡To get ultra-fine makrut lime leaf shreds, stack several leaves, roll them tightly like a cigar, and slice them with a very sharp chef's knife into hairline ribbons.
- 💡If your coconut cream does not separate easily due to added emulsifiers, simply add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to help fry the curry paste properly.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux