Authentic Thai Panang Curry

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Panang curry แกงแพนง is one of the most popular curries in Thailand and overseas alike. Growing up in Thailand, it's a curry we made at home a lot because of its simplicity and speed. There's very little prep involved (if you buy the curry paste), and the whole thing is done in minutes.

It's also gluten-free, and can be made vegan (more on this in the FAQ). This panang curry recipe is made with pork, which is the most popular protein in Thailand, but I also have a recipe for panang beef, or you can substitute chicken for this recipe as well.

a bowl of panang curry with julienned makrut lime leaves being sprinkled on.

What is Panang Curry?

Of all the different Thai coconut milk based curries, panang curry is one that is quite unique. Instead of having plenty of liquid like a Thai green curry or red curry, panang curry comes in a small amount of thick, rich sauce. You can make an argument that it's more of a saucy stir fry.

Another defining feature is the generous use of cumin and coriander seeds which distinguishes its flavour from the basic Thai red curry. Makrut lime leaves (aka kaffir lime leaves) are also considered must-have for panang curry. Peanuts are ground into the curry paste, making the resulting sauce thicker and richer, though for commercial panang curry pastes, the peanuts are often omitted or replaced with mung beans to avoid allergies.

You can buy panang curry pastes from some Asian grocery stores that stock a lot of Southeast Asian products, but it's not an easy one to find. So I have included how to make panang curry paste from scratch in this recipe, OR if you're short on time you can also try my shotcut - the semi-homemade panang curry paste - which includes just a few ingredients added to store bought red curry paste.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

Panang curry paste, store bought or homemade (recipe below). This is the heart of the curry and the quality of your curry hangs on the quality of your paste. So if you're going to use store bought, make sure it is good quality. My preference is for Maeploy or Aroy D brands, and if you cannot find store bought panang curry paste, you can also buy red curry paste and add a few ingredients to it to turn it into a panang paste.
Coconut milk. It's important to use good quality coconut milk when it comes to Thai curries, read more about how to choose good coconut milk here.
Fish sauce. More about how to choose good fish sauce here.
Sugar. If you have palm sugar, you can use it, but for this granulated white sugar or light brown sugar will also work just fine.
Pork tenderloin or pork collar butt, sliced thinly (~⅛ inch) or you can substitute chicken breast or thigh, sliced about ½-inch thick.
Makrut lime leaves, also known as kaffir lime leaves. This is an important flavour in panang curry. It adds a citrusy aroma the helps brighten and lighten the otherwise rich curry. If you can't find fresh, frozen is the second best option, and dried would be the last resort.
Mild red chilies for garnish, optional. This is just to give it some colour. Traditionally we use spur chilies or prik chee fa, but any kind of red pepper will do.

Homemade Panang Curry Paste Ingredients

Again, you do NOT have to make it from scratch! It is perfectly acceptable to use store bought, and see my hack for making semi homemade panang curry paste below!

Dried Chilies. Panang is not supposed to be a super spicy curry, so I stick with mild dried chilies such as guajillo or puya chilies. If you want to add some heat, you can add some spicier chilies such as Thai or arbol chilies as well.
Coarse salt. If you're pounding by hand, the coarseness will help add some friction, but if making by machine, any kind of salt is fine.
Cumin seeds, toasted
Coriander seeds, toasted
White peppercorns
Chopped lemongrass, use lemongrass from the bottom half only which is where the flavour is most concentrated. More about lemongrass here.
Chopped galangal. Fresh or frozen galangal will do. More about galangal here.
Makrut lime zest. AKA kaffir lime zest. This is the green part of the skin of the makrut limes, and it is very hard to find so I wouldn't worry so much if you don't have it. It has the same aroma as makrut lime leaves, so you can always just add a few extra leaves into the curry. More about makrut lime leaves here.
Cilantro roots. Simply the roots of the cilantro/coriander plant! This is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, but outside of Thailand it can be hard to find. Not to worry, you can substitute cilantro stems instead!
Garlic
Shallots
Shrimp paste, called gapi in Thai, this is a fermented shrimp paste, which is an ingredient added to most Thai curries. It is salty and has a funky smell but adds a huge amount of umami. If you don't have it, you can omit it, and you'll just need to add a little more fish sauce to the curry.
Roasted peanuts. This adds richness to the curry, if you're allergic to peanuts you can substitute another nut or seeds that you are not allergic to to mimic the same richness.

Hack: Making a Quick Semi-Homemade Panang Curry Paste

Panang curry paste tends to be hard to find in stores, but red curry pastes are available everywhere. The good news is that the two share many, many ingredients because Thai red curry paste is essentially our "basic" paste upon which other pastes are built.

With this knowledge, we can take the widely available red curry paste and simply add a few extra ingredients that would turn it into panang. Here are the ingredients you'll need.

Store bought red curry paste, I recommend Maeploy, Aroy D or Namjai brands. Blue Elephant is also good for those in the UK. Do NOT use Thai Kitchen as it is very weak.
Toasted cumin seeds
Toasted coriander seeds
Roasted peanuts, if allergic, you can sub another type of nuts or seeds that you can eat.
Fermented shrimp paste, this is optional, and if your red curry paste already contains shrimp paste you don't need to add anymore.

How to Make Panang Curry

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, the full instructions are in the recipe card below, and if it's your first time make sure you watch the video below to ensure success.

Process shots for making panang curry steps 1-4

Reduce some of the coconut milk in a wok or large skillet until very thick.
Add the curry paste and stir to mix.
Keep stirring until coconut oil starts to separate and sizzle around the curry paste.
Add the palm sugar and torm makrut lime leaves and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Process shots for making panang curry steps 5-8

Add the meat and toss to coat in the paste (image shows beef, but it would be the same if using pork or chicken).
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir until the meat is cooked through, then turn off the heat.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce if needed, then stir in the red pepper.
Plate and top with julienned makrut lime leaves for garnish.

Watch the Video Tutorial

Here's the video showing how to make panang curry with beef, though the process would be exactly the same if using pork or chicken. (I do have a video that shows how to make panang curry with pork, but I have since updated my process so this one is better 😊). If you enjoy my videos, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Storing Leftover and Advance Prep

Panang curry keeps quite well and is great for meal prep. In the fridge it should last up to a week, just be sure not to overcook the meat when you reheat it. Any leftover curry paste can be frozen.

To make this dish even quicker to pull off on a weeknight, make your curry paste in advance, and you can keep curry paste frozen for several months. You can even make a large amount if you want to come back to this dish regularly!

FAQ

How can panang curry be made vegan or vegetarian?

If you're making the curry paste from scratch, the first thing to do is omit the shrimp paste. If using store-bought curry pastes, check the ingredient list to see if it contains shrimp paste.

You can replace the meat with sliced and pan-fried tofu or your meat substitute of choice. Frozen-then-fried tofu is actually great for this. In my first cookbook, Hot Thai Kitchen, I also have a panang recipe with roasted portobello mushroom, grilled peppers, and roasted eggplant. The fish sauce can be simply replaced with soy sauce.

Simply cook your veg separately, make the curry sauce as per the recipe, then toss the two together.

How is Panang curry different from other Thai curries?

The main difference between panang and most other Thai curries is that panang has a smaller amount of sauce that is thick and rich, whereas most other Thai curries have plenty of liquid that is quite soupy.

Panang also does not involve any vegetables, and uses only one herb, makrut lime leaves, in addition to what's in the curry paste. I have to say, though, that if you order panang curry in a N. American Thai restaurant, it might not be as I just described because I have seen many restaurants make it soupy, with added vegetables, but now you know that that is the "Westernized" way!

In terms of the curry paste itself, the ingredients are all of the usual suspects of Thai curries: lemongrass, galangal, dried chilies, etc., but roasted peanuts are added to thicken the sauce. In commercial pastes, sometimes beans are used instead to avoid allergies.