These days, I’ve only ever had time for easy meals that take less than an hour to make. Since everything is starting to open up again, life has been happening. And my time in the kitchen, lessens with a busy schedule. Let alone, I’ve also got a five-month old puppy to take care of and a full time day job. Takeout, while convenient, is not always an option. As much as I would love to indulge at my favorite Thai food places, it can get too expensive.
Hence, why I created an easy home version of one of my favorite Thai dishes – Panang or Phanaeng.
LET’S TALK PANANG CURRY
As you may or may not know, my blood runs on curry (next to pasta). I’m not sure if I’ve ever said what kind of curry is my favorite, it really depends on my mood, but I can say panang would be my top one (if I’ve not said any other kind of curry is already my top one). Panang curry, also known as phanaeng, is a type of red curry originally from Thailand. It’s sweet, savory, and has a distinct zestful taste and aroma to it. The color derives from red curry paste; which consists of chili peppers, galangal, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, coriander, cumin, garlic, shallot, and salt. It’s aromatic essence (and zestful flavor) is from the lime leaves. When cooked, often times, it is prepared with coconut milk as a broth – making it an overall comforting, cozy meal.
PANANG CURRY PASTE
I’m going to be honest here, we’re not making curry paste with a mortar and pestle, let alone, from scratch for this one. I’m keeping it simple with purchasing pre-made curry paste because, like a lot of you, I don’t always have the time to make everything from scratch. So, first and foremost, take a trip to your closest Asian supermarket and find yourself really good curry paste.
For starters, I use the Cock Brand Thai Panang Curry paste which only contains spices, no MSG or any preservatives. It’s also as authentic as it gets as you’d only need a few tablespoon to really taste the flavor.
When buying store bought panang curry paste (especially for Thai cuisines) be sure to check the following:
- You buy from a Thai brand, if all possible. Check your favorite Asian supermarket as they’d normally have the best one.
- Contain no preservatives or MSG, the better. If this isn’t an issue for you, no problem. I like to keep mine as little ingredients as possible.
- Very important, they contain no SEAFOOD. Thai food is known for fish sauces and shrimp paste, which is a common ingredient in most food (even if it’s for a veggie dish). ALWAYS double check.
CHOOSING YOUR PROTEIN
For this particular recipe, I used soy curls. However, you can use whatever you have on hand. Tofu, often times, is used in a lot of restaurants as a vegetarian/vegan option. You can also TVP (textured vegetable protein), or vegan chick’n or “beef” if you’ve got it on hand. Soy curls gave me a “chick’n” texture and it’s more of a wholesome choice of protein. It also has less of an after taste and absorbs well as tofu.
Personally, soy curls or tofu work best. Here are some pointers on using it for this dish:
- Soak your soy curls (to rehydrate) in hot vegetable broth to give it more flavor. Then, sauté until golden brown to give it a firmer “chick’n” texture.
- When choosing tofu, medium or firm tofu works best for soupy / broth-like dishes as it absorbs more flavor. Extra firm tofu has a tendency to stiffen overtime when cooking.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
We’re keeping it simple and most of these ingredients, you may already have in your pantry or fridge.
- Shallots, ginger, & garlic – for added aromatics
- Vegetable broth – to soak the soy curls (skip this step if you are using tofu)
- Full fat coconut milk – for the traditional creamy broth
- Vegetables – such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots. You can also add in mushrooms, eggplants, or bamboo shoots if you wish.
- Cilantro – if you are a fan. If not, skip it.
- Coconut oil – for sautéing (you can skip if you are oil free).
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Vegan Panang Curry
Equipment
- 4-6 quart soup pot
- medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried soy curls (or substitute for medium or firm tofu)
- 1½ cup vegetable broth boiled
- ½ small (⅓ cup) shallots diced
- 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
- ¼ piece (1 tsp) ginger minced
- 1 small (⅓ cup) carrots thinly sliced
- ½ cup broccoli florets
- 1 small (⅓ cup) bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- handful of cilantro (optional for garnish)
- red chili pepper (optional)
- rice (to serve)
FOR THE BROTH
- 1½ can (3 cups) coconut milk
- ½ cup water (or substitute vegetable broth)
- 1-2 tbsp panang curry paste (see notes)
- 1 tsp lime juice freshly squeezed
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
FOR THE SOY CURLS
- Rehydrate soy curls into hot vegetable broth for 5-15 minutes (or depending on the package instructions). Skip this step if you are using tofu.
- Drain soy curls and squeeze out as much liquids as possible. Reuse the vegetable broth for later use OR for the curry broth in this recipe.
FOR PREPARATION
- Ready all ingredients.
- Reheat a soup pot in medium heat. Coat pot with coconut oil.
- Toss soy curls into pot (or tofu) and sauté until golden brown. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside for later use.
- Using the same pot, sauté shallots, ginger, carrots, and garlic until fragrant. Add the bellpeppers and stir.
- Toss soy curls back in pot. Add panang curry paste into mixture and stir.
FOR THE BROTH
- Pour coconut milk and water (or reused vegetable broth).
- Allow broth and ingredients to simmer in medium low heat for 7-10 minutes.
- Season salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat off. For added heat, add a few fresh red chili peppers (depending on your spice level). Squeeze lime juice to finish and garnish with cilantro.
- Best served fresh with a bed of rice.
Notes
- Panang Curry Paste – You can find Panang Curry Paste in many Asian Supermarket stores. If you live on Guam, I get mine at American Grocery. I get this Cock Brand Panang Curry Paste brand as it contains no preservatives, MSG, or artificial coloring. Plus, it’s authentic and a little bit of it goes a long way.
- Soy curls / Tofu – Any form of dehydrated soy curls will work. I use the Butler Soy Curls and order a bulk. I like these, in particular, as they only contain dehydrated soybean. You can also use medium or firm tofu if you don’t want to spend on soy curls. Personally, I would not use extra firm tofu as it is not the best to absorb all the flavors.