Panang Gai — Thai Chicken Curry
An aromatic and tender chicken curry with coconut milk, peanuts, and lemongrass. Authentic Thai flavor with a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and saltiness.
Ingredients
- 200 g Chicken breast
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 100 g Green beans
- 6 pcs Fresh red chili pepper
- 4 pcs Dried red chili pepper
- 4 clove Garlic
- 1 pcs Galangal
- 1 pcs Lemongrass
- 1 pcs Lime
- 1 tsp Shrimp paste
- 2 tbsp Peanuts
- 1 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 4 pcs Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
- 1 tsp Salt
- 200 g Jasmine rice
Instructions
- Prepare the curry paste. In a mortar with pestle (or in a blender), grind the fresh and dried red chili peppers, shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, ground coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and peanuts. Add salt and grind into a coarse paste. If using a blender, add 2–3 tablespoons of coconut milk and blend until smooth. The paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Pour 2–3 tablespoons of the thick layer of coconut milk into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. When the milk begins to simmer, add 1–2 tablespoons of curry paste and stir thoroughly for about a minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken breast and cook for 3–4 minutes until it begins to brown on all sides. Then add the green beans and stir well.
- Season with fish sauce and brown sugar, then add the remaining coconut milk. Stir well, add half of the kaffir lime leaves, and simmer for 3–5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Taste and adjust with more sugar or fish sauce if needed — the curry should be salty, nutty, with a hint of sweetness. Add the Thai basil leaves, stir well, and remove from heat.
- Cook the jasmine rice according to the package instructions. Serve the curry with rice, garnished with thinly sliced chili pepper and the remaining kaffir lime leaves.