Recipe: Panang Beef Curry
Traditionally made with beef, the flavours in Panang Curry draw comparisons with Thai Red curry. The secret to the perfect Panang is frying the meat in the thick paste, as opposed to boiling it. This creates delightfully vibrant flavours and tender meat, without having excess sauce to deal with.
A word of warning, this curry is hot! If you prefer less hear, lower the amount of chilli and increase the amount of tomato puree. Why would you want to do that though!?
Panang Beef Curry Ingredients:
For the paste:
- 5 red birds eye chillies, deseeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 shallots
- 3cm fresh galangal, chopped
- 2 tsp shrimp paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- Juice ½ lime
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
For the curry:
- 400g beef fillet, sliced
- 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Juice ½ lime
- Large handful fresh coriander, to serve.
Panang Beef Curry How To:
Make the paste by combining all ingredients in a food processor, and blitzing to a puree.
Heat a large pan to a high heat with a little olive oil. Sear the beef strips for 1 minute each side, so they are just browned but still pink in the middle. Set aside.
Lower the heat in the pan to medium. Open the coconut milk, and take 1 tbsp of the thickest ‘cream’ part from the top. Add to the pan – it should begin to sizzle right away.
Stir in the curry paste to the coconut cream. Simmer for 4 – 5 minutes to release the flavours, stirring well to ensure it doesn’t burn. Keep adding a little extra coconut milk at a time if it looks to dry.
Return the beef to the pan, tossing it well to coat in the thick sauce. Add a little more coconut milk so there is a little excess liquid in the pan. Add the fish sauce, then simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes. Serve over rice with a squeeze of lime and plenty of fresh coriander.
