Chicken Panang - a Thai-style curry with coconut milk and peanuts. It's milder than red Thai curry, with a lovely nutty creaminess from the peanut butter.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
2 tbsp oil
Add the chicken, salt, and pepper and fry, turning the chicken regularly, for 5 minutes, until the chicken is sealed (it won’t be cooked through at this point).
3 chicken breasts, pinch salt and pepper
Add the onion, peppers, garlic, ginger, and panang curry paste.
1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 2 tbsp panang curry paste
Fry, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes, ensuring the curry paste coats the chicken and vegetables.
Add the peanut butter, stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and Thai basil leaves.
2 tbsp peanut butter, 240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock, 400 ml (14 oz) tin full-fat coconut milk, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 10 Thai basil leaves
Stir together, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced slightly and chicken is cooked through.
Slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, whilst stirring, to thicken the sauce further if desired (you may not need all of the cornflour slurry).
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water, to form a slurry
Turn off the heat and serve the curry with boiled rice. Top with chopped peanuts, spring onions, and a few fresh Thai basil leaves.
Can I make it ahead?Yes, this is a great curry to make ahead and it reheats well. Make the curry, then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over a medium heat (you may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up) until the chicken is piping hot throughout.Add the toppings when serving.Can I freeze it?Yes, make the curry, then quickly cool, and freeze it in an airtight container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as per the 'make ahead' instructions above.Ingredient swaps/additions
Swap out the chicken for quorn, tofu, or even meatballs.
Swap out the 14oz (400ml) coconut milk for 7oz(200ml) additional chicken stock plus 7oz(200ml) double/heavy cream.
If you can't find Panang paste,swap out the Panang curry paste for red Thai curry paste (note: red Thai curry paste is hotter and a little tangier than panang paste).
How to scale up and scale down this recipeYou can halve or double this recipe, sticking to the same ratios.If you double the recipe, it will take 5-10 minutes longer to cook, and you may need to add in a little more cornstarch slurry to thicken if desired.Nutritional information is approximate, per person, not including rice. This recipe serves 4.