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Thai Coconut Curry (Panang Curry) Recipe

Thai coconut curry, also known as panang curry, is a very rich and creamy curry, with a hint of fresh sourness provided by the addition of chopped lime leaves. It can be somewhat spicy too, so if you prefer mild food, use less panang curry paste. It's my personal favourite, and is very popular amongst westerners.

The ingredients and cooking process is very simple, however the knack lies in getting the sauce at the right consistency - it should be thick and creamy, not watery, which is why we do not add water in this recipe.

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, chopped

1/4 cup of chopped lime leaves

1/2 to 1 can of coconut milk

3 tablespoons of panang curry paste

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

Step 1: Chop the lime leaves into very fine pieces

Step 2: Chop the chicken breasts into cubes

Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan or wok and turn the cooker to a high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the 3 tablespoons of panang curry paste, and mix together

Step 4: Pour in about 1/4 can of coconut milk, and mix. Once mixed, top up several times with a dash more coconut milk - see video. Keep adding until you have used about 1/2 can of coconut milk in total.

Step 5: Once you have a rich thick looking sauce, add the chopped chicken and the chopped lime leaves, and stir

Step 6: Let the chicken cook for about 5 minutes, regularly stirring, then add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and continue to stir. Add a dash of coconut milk here and there to keep the sauce at a thick consistency, you don't want the sauce to reduce down too much (see video for technique)

Step 7: Once the chicken is cooked, serve on a plate, ideally with some Thai jasmine rice. Drizzle some more coconut milk over the curry to give it a creamy white finish. You're ready to eat and enjoy!