{"id":109715,"title":"Authentic Panang Beef Curry","modified":"2025-10-29T16:17:27+01:00","plain":"A delicious Panang beef curry to warm even the coldest winter nights\n\n\n\nWhat is Panang curry?\n\n\n\nPanang curry is particularly interesting; it stands apart from other Thai curries. You may have noticed that many dishes labeled \"curry\" or \"gaeng\" in Thai cuisine are closer to soups. They come with plenty of sauce\u2014often thin and fluid; some are even water-based and eaten like lightly thickened, bubbling broths. A bit like Vietnamese curry.\n\n\n\nTom Yum Soup is an example of a fairly light, brothy soup\n\n\n\nBy contrast, Panang is closer to what we usually imagine when we think of the word \"curry\": a thicker, richer sauce\u2014just enough to coat every bite and leave a luscious pool at the bottom.\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s even a term for this ideal amount of liquid: \"kluk klik.\" Panang is also unique in that it consists exclusively of meat, with no vegetables added. The meat is always thinly sliced; at most, a few eggplants or red bell peppers are added as garnish.\n\n\n\nIn terms of flavor, it\u2019s similar to a red curry with the addition of a few key ingredients: ground coriander, cumin, and peanuts.\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s an ideal weeknight curry: quick to make. The cooking technique is almost like a stir-fry\u2014perfect for such a comforting dish!\n\n\n\nMy Beef Satay is a great example of a velvety sauce\n\n\n\nHow to ensure the beef stays tender\n\n\n\nFor the quick method, use the baking soda method.\n\n\n\n\nUse a quick-cooking cut: This isn\u2019t a long-simmered dish such as Japanese curry. Ideally, choose a naturally tender cut such as ribeye, sirloin, or hanger steak.\n\n\n\nSlice against the grain to keep the muscle fibers as short as possible. Find more details in my article on how to cut meat for Asian dishes.\n\n\n\nSlice very thinly: Freeze the meat for 20 minutes before slicing to make it easier. Otherwise, ask your butcher.\n\n\n\n\nKey ingredients for Panang beef curry\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor the Panang curry paste, you have two options: make it at home or buy it ready-made. You can also buy Panang curry paste from Asian grocery stores or online at sites like Amazon.\n\n\n\nFor the beef, choose a tender cut. See my cooking tips below for more information.\n\n\n\nUse full-fat coconut milk for a rich, creamy coconut curry sauce.\n\n\n\nPalm sugar adds an authentic, gentle, caramel-like sweetness.\n\n\n\nA dash of fish sauce adds a big hit of umami.\n\n\n\nKaffir lime leaves, also known as makrut lime leaves, add bright flavor and a citrusy aroma. They\u2019re a key ingredient in Thai Panang beef curry, so don\u2019t skimp on them. If you can\u2019t find them fresh, you can buy them dried on Amazon.\n\n\n\nFor the chilies, fresh Thai chilies are best for a spicy kick. For milder heat, use a less spicy chili or even thin slices of bell pepper. You can also remove the seeds to reduce the heat.\n\n\n\nPea eggplants are completely optional but add a touch of authenticity. Thai eggplants can be used as a substitute.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Panang Beef Curry\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t500 ml coconut milk (full-fat)3 tablespoons Panang curry paste450 g beef4 tablespoons fish sauce2,5 tablespoons palm sugar4 leaves kaffir lime leaves (finely shredded)4 chilies (Thai chilies, to taste, thinly sliced)150 g pea eggplants (optional)\t\n\t\n\t\tHeat one-third of the coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat. When the milk thickens and the oil begins to separate, stir in the Panang curry paste.Add the remaining coconut milk once the paste is fully incorporated.Bring the coconut curry sauce to a gentle simmer, then add the beef and cook to your preferred doneness.Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, and sliced chilies. If using pea eggplants, add them now.Continue cooking until the pea eggplants are tender and the palm sugar has completely dissolved into the sauce. Serve hot.\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalTha\u00eflandaisecurry tha\u00ef\t\n\n\n\n\n\nThis recipe was contributed by Praew from the English-language blog Hungry In Thailand. Stay tuned\u2014she\u2019s a specialist in Thai cuisine and will be sharing more traditional Thai recipes soon.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109715"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110196,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109715\/revisions\/110196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}