Thai Panang Curry Chicken (Authentic stuff)

Lemongrass, ginger, chilies, and kaffir lime are just a few ingredients that immediately conjure up the enticing aromas and bold flavors of Thai cuisine. Curries are cultural cornerstones that are essential to Thai cuisine’s history.

They say that good food equals a good mood. Great preparation, the right ingredients, and most importantly, culture go hand in hand with good food. Asian dishes reign supreme when it comes to the greatest curry dishes of all time!

Now, Panang curry pastes differ slightly from one another, but they usually contain dried chili peppers, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. If you have the ingredients on hand, you could make your curry paste.

If you’ve been craving Thai food but don’t want to go out in the cold or break the bank by eating out, this Thai Panang chicken curry recipe is for you. It’s nutritious, tasty, and bursting with flavor. Panang curries are popular in Thailand, where they use green or red curry pastes, making this one of the simplest chicken curry recipes available.

Thai food holds a special place in my heart, and Thai Panang curry recipes are like no other comfort food. Panang chicken is a Thai staple, and this quick weeknight dinner will not disappoint.

What Goes into Making Thai Panang Curry?

Making Thai Panang Curry is easy, let me list the ingredients for you:

fish sauce
coconut milk
galangal,
coriander
cumin seeds
coriander seeds (can be ground)
roasted peanut
lemongrass
Kaffir lime leaf
shallots
garlic
chicken stock
white pepper
shrimp paste
dry chilies
chicken thigh.

Instructions

Soak 10 dry chilies for 15 minutes, then slice and deseed the dry chilies.

*Dry ingredients for making the curry paste*

Panang Curry paste ingredients: roast the peanut, cumin seed, and coriander seed (I forgot to get one, so I used the coriander seed ground instead). Keep the coriander for garnish and use the coriander roots, half of the galangal, 2 lemongrasses, a few cloves of garlic, shallots, dry chilies, and one cube of shrimp paste.

Blend it.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Set aside all of the chicken thighs for 5 minutes in a pan.
Pour the coconut milk into the pot for 2 minutes.
Add the Panang curry paste and stir it for 5 minutes.
And add the kaffir lime leaves.
Add the cooked chicken thigh and let it simmer for another 15 minutes.

*Serving Thai Panang curry chicken with rice*

Pair the curry with coconut rice, and garnish it with fried shallots and coriander.

What’s the difference between Thai Panang curry and Red Curry?

While there are several obvious similarities between these two types of curries, they are not the same dish. They typically contain the most essential curry ingredients, such as shrimp paste, coconut milk or cream, galangal, garlic, and chicken.

While the red curry is always red, the Panang curry does not have to be as vibrant, and the color of the dish is not the focus. It can even be reddish, especially if there is coconut cream and not much tomato paste is used.

The coconut cream in Panang curry thickens and enhances the flavor. Also, rather than the spice that dominates red curry, the emphasis in this dish is on the sweet, nutty flavor provided by almonds.

However, the spice level of Panang curry varies from mild to medium-hot (on rare occasions), whereas red curry is usually quite spicy-especially if it contains fresh red chili peppers.

What does Thai Panang curry taste like?

Panang curry has a sweet, yet salty, thick nutty flavor that is complemented by the flavor of roasted ground peanuts. All of this goodness comes from a combination of ingredients such as coriander, shallot, garlic, shrimp paste, white pepper, and salt.

The addition of peanuts or even a scoop of peanut butter makes a huge difference in the flavor and taste of Panang curry, giving it a whole new curry “vibe.” Sweetening the deal!

Panang Curry has a thicker, less soupy texture thanks to the addition of coconut cream. It also has a crunchy texture due to the presence of peanuts, onions, basil, bamboo shoots, and bell peppers, which give it a soft and crispy texture.

Is Panang curry spicy?

It is, indeed. Panang curry is a red curry variant; one of the characteristics of red curry is its spice, which is due to the presence of chili peppers.

So, while Panang curry is spicy, it is not as spicy as other red curry or even green curry, but it is richer and creamier.

What is Panang curry made of?

The secret to Panang curry’s uniqueness is in the sauce, which is easier to make than you might think. Simply combine the ingredients in a food processor to make a cohesive, aromatic mixture.

Panang curry sauce is typically made up of several components. It contains coconut cream, galangal, tomato paste, light or dark soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, onion, and garlic. Crushed almonds, of course.

To achieve that deep flavor, a variety of spices and herbs must be added. This spice blend typically contains turmeric, paprika, chili flakes, ground coriander, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon.

What Thai curry is the healthiest?

Thai curry isn’t the healthiest option because it’s usually made with a lot of coconut milk, which is high in calories and fat. Thai curries are frequently served with rice, which adds extra carbs if not portioned correctly.

A single serving of Thai curry may contain up to 700 calories, which can be a lot for some diet-conscious people.

Thai curries are traditionally made with a protein mixed in a coconut-based curry sauce and served with rice. Coconut milk contains approximately 250 calories per 12 cups, the majority of which are from fat, and rice can easily be overeaten if not portioned correctly.

As a result, Thai curry is a poor choice for those trying to lose weight.

Let me list the nutrition values of curries in general for you so that you can monitor them in your diet plan:

Nutrition (1 Serving)	Values
Calories	510 Kcal
Total Carbs	18 g
Sugar	14 g
Protein	36 g
Fat	33 g
Saturated Fat	23 g

List of nutrients in Thai Panang Curry

Which is the mildest Thai curry?

Thai yellow curry is the mildest of all the curry variations.

Thai yellow curry, like traditional Indian curry, includes turmeric as a key ingredient, lending the curry its distinctive golden-yellow hue. Some Thai yellow curries resemble Indian curry in appearance but taste uniquely Thai.

Yellow curry paste has a mild, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of spice. Curry powder is pounded with coriander seeds, cumin, lemongrass, galangal or ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili in addition to turmeric.

Thai yellow curry chicken is popular, and the paste is frequently combined with coconut milk and used in fish stews.

Here is its recipe:

Thai Yellow Curry Paste Recipe

Is Panang Curry hotter than Massaman curry?

Massaman curry, like Panang curry, is thick, but it is milder than most Thai curry dishes.

It’s a fragrant curry with a tangy, luxurious flavor that’s harmonious, sweet, and not as spicy as other Thai curries. The tamarind in the dish is responsible for the tanginess of the Massaman curry.

Because massaman curry originated in India and Malay, its main flavors are derived from Indian spices such as cardamom, coriander, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Simply put, Massaman curry is not as hot as other curries. Nonetheless, it is sweet and aromatic due to a blend of all sweet and tasty ingredients from both Indian and Thai cultures.

Is Panang curry sweet?

It is a little spicy but not as spicy as red curry as it gives a sweeter taste because of the use of peanuts in its recipe.

Is Panang curry like red curry?

No, Panang curry is not like red curry. The difficulty distinguishing between red curry and Panang curry is that the curries’ colors are frequently very similar. There are, however, some key distinctions: Panang (or Penang) curry is more affluent and sweeter than most red curries, thanks to the addition of coconut cream (in place of coconut milk) and, on occasion, peanuts.

It is traditionally served with beef in Thailand and is very spicy. Panang curry has a slight textural difference from red curry in that it is “thicker and less soupy,” and it also has crunch from the peanuts and additional veggies.

It’s easy to mix up red curry and Panang curry because they look so similar. Because they share similar ingredients, some people consider Panang to be simply a red curry variation.

However, aside from the peanuts, Panang differs from red curry in that it contains less red chili pepper, making it less spicy. Furthermore, while some red curry recipes use coconut cream or milk, this ingredient is found in nearly all Panang curries, making it sweeter and creamier than red curry.

Summary

It is a little spicy but not as spicy as red curry, as it gives a sweeter taste because of the use of peanuts in its recipe.

Massaman curry, like Panang curry, is thick, but it is milder than most Thai curry dishes. It’s a fragrant curry with a tangy, luxurious flavor that’s harmonious, sweet, and not as spicy as other Thai curries. The tamarind in the dish is responsible for the tanginess of the Massaman curry.

Thai curry isn’t the healthiest option because it’s usually made with a lot of coconut milk, which is high in calories and fat.

Thai curries are frequently served with rice, which adds extra carbs if not portioned correctly. A single serving of Thai curry may contain up to 700 calories, which can be a lot for some diet-conscious people.