Panang Curry

Panang curry is a thick and creamy curry that has more luxuriously rich coconut cream than other curries. The name actually comes from an ancient Khmer word for “cross” — as in, to sit cross-legged. In the old days, chickens were grilled by crossing the legs and sitting them upright on the grate. The sitting chickens would be basted with a red curry paste that contained ground roasted peanuts and coconut cream. Over time, panang chicken became a simplified one-pot dish cooked on the stove instead of the grill.

While optional, makrut lime leaves give the curry a bright aroma and earthy-citrus flavor. They may be difficult to find in Western grocery stores, but generally available in Asian grocery stores (either in the produce section or frozen).

The main ingredients that make panang curry are as follows:

• Panang curry paste, which is a variation of red curry paste with the addition of roasted peanuts and nutmeg.
• Coconut cream
• Thai basil
• Peanuts

Panang curry is richer and sweeter than other Thai curries, mainly because of its high coconut cream content. It’s also less spicy, which might make the curry seem even sweeter than others.

Both curry pastes contain dried chiles, lemongrass, galangal, shallot, garlic, cilantro, makrut lime zest, and shrimp paste. Panang also has peanuts and nutmeg in it. If all you’ve got is store-bought red curry paste, you can easily hack a quick panang paste by pounding 2 tablespoons of roasted unsalted peanuts and half a nutmeg with a mortar and pestle until a paste forms, then mix it into 4 ounces of red curry paste.