This simple PanangCurry combines aromatic veggies with fragrant Panang curry paste and a combination of sweet and golden potatoes, all in a rich and creamy coconut base. Garnish with basil, crushed peanuts, and plenty of fresh lime juice!
PREP: Start by prepping ingredients: dice the red onion, carrot, and bell pepper (by hand or quickly in the food processor). Mince the garlic and ginger. (I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler first.) Peel and then chop the sweet potatoes into small bite-sized pieces (1/2-inch in size). No need to peel gold potatoes, but chop them into small pieces (1/2-inch in size). Keep the potato pieces fairly small so they’ll cook at the right time.
COOK: Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and red pepper and sauté for 7-10 minutes, until onions begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to coat everything with the oil. Season to taste with salt. (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt.) Lower the heat to medium and add in curry paste. Stir often for 2-3 minutes or until very fragrant. Add in the sweet and gold potatoes and stir to coat for 1 minute.
COOK CONT: Pour in the 2 cans of coconut milk. Stir. Scrape the bottom of the pot periodically and press all potatoes below the liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to rapidly simmer (it should be bubbling at the edges but not boiling) for 18-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes should be fork tender and curry sauce reduced; this happens at around 20-22 minutes for me. Add a splash of vegetable stock/broth or water if the sauce is reducing too quickly and potatoes aren't getting tender. (This also means you may need to lower your heat a little. Alternatively, increase the heat slightly if potatoes aren't getting tender and the sauce isn't reducing.)
FINISHING: Turn off the heat and stir in the peas. Add sugar (start with less-- you can always add more), soy sauce, and lime juice to the curry (feel free to adjust these three ingredients to personal preference -- adding more soy sauce for seasoning/umami flavor, more lime for a fresh flavor, and more sugar if it's too spicy). Taste and add more salt if needed-- (I'll typically add another 1/4 up to 1/2 teaspoon) flavors should be vibrant and curries typically need a lot of salt!
ENJOY: Remove curry from heat. If desired, serve curry over cooked rice. Garnish individual bowls with basil and coarsely chopped peanuts. I also like to serve lime wedges on the side. Serve over cooked rice with warmed roti bread. Enjoy!
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Notes
Note 1: Veggies: This is about 1 large red onion, 3-4 large carrots, and 1 bell pepper. Dice finely -- we want fairly small pieces.Note 2: Curry paste: The curry paste in this recipe is the main flavor of this dish. While Panang Curry paste can be a bit trickier to find than other curry pastes, it's essential for this recipe. You may find it in the international section of your grocery store, but more likely to find it in an Asian grocery store. My favorite brand to use is Maesri. The intensity of the curry paste will vary from brand to brand. We found 2 tablespoons of Maesri curry paste (offset by the sweet coconut milk) to be perfect for kids, but my husband and I prefer 3 tablespoons for a little more heat.Note 3: Coconut milk: To mimic the thickness, sweetness, and richness of a Panang Curry I had while traveling, I created this recipe with 2 cans of coconut milk. If 2 cans are too much for you, use 1 can coconut milk and replace the other can with 1 cup of vegetable (or chicken if you aren't vegetarian) stock. I personally use Imperial Kitchen® since I can find it often at my local grocery store and enjoy the richness of this brand. Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk won’t thicken and give you the rich, full flavor that regular coconut milk will. Note 4: Soy sauce: Fish sauce is a common finishing ingredient in Thai curries -- it adds that final seasoning and umami flavor. If you aren't vegetarian, feel free to add some instead of the soy sauce, but since I wanted this to be a vegetarian recipe, the recipe calls for soy sauce instead. Use regular (not lite) soy sauce.Note 5: Sugar: Add sugar to personal preference and to offset potential spiciness-- you may not even want any! Add slowly and to taste preference.Note 6: Lime: We love lots of lime in this curry -- it adds a nice freshness. You may want more -- we often serve additional lime wedges on the side. For more citrusy flavor, you can add in lime zest too. If you happen to have Kaffir lime leaves, throw a few in (crumple them up) when you add in the coconut milk.Note 7: Peanuts and basil: We prefer the peanuts as a topping, but if you don't have peanuts and still would like more of a peanut flavor, mix through 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter. If you have access to fresh Thai basil use that, but if not regular basil is still great!