Panang Curry Paste Recipe (2024)

Home » Recipes » Panang Curry Paste (Prik Gaeng Panang)

by Mike Hultquist · · Leave a Comment · Jump to Recipe

This homemade Panang Curry Paste recipe makes the best Panang curry with fresh ingredients! It's so much better than anything from the grocery store.

Panang Curry Paste Recipe (1)

Panang Curry Paste Recipe

Panang curry is a red curry recipe from Thailand and popular in Southeast Asian cuisine. The curry paste is unique and essential for the dish's characteristic flavor. It's made from dried chilies instead of fresh, resulting in a milder, smokier curry.

You can easily spice up the curry itself with other ingredients, but traditionally, Panang curry paste is on the milder end of the scale, depending on the dried chilies used to make it.

This curry paste is ideal for any protein, including chicken, pork, lamb, beef, shrimp or any seafood! It's also great with vegetarian versions. Consider eggplant, portobello mushrooms, or others. Feel free to include your favorite!

Panang Curry Paste Recipe (2)

Panang Curry Paste Ingredients

  • Chili peppers - I'm using dried guajillo peppers and Japones peppers for this recipe. You can use puya peppers in place of the guajillos. Thai chilies are more traditionally used, though dried red Japones or chile de arbol are excellent here. NOTE: The dried peppers are stemmed, seeds removed, and soaked in water until softened.
  • Fresh ingredients - Shallot, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, kaffir lime (leaves or kaffir lime zest).
  • Shrimp paste -For umami addition.
  • Roasted peanuts
  • Spices - Coriander, cumin, white peppercorns - all lightly pan toasted.
  • Water - As needed to think the paste, if desired.
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How to Make Panang Curry Paste

Process the curry paste. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process to form a thick paste. Alternatively, you can grind it by hand with a mortar and pestle for a coarser texture.

Thin with water. Thin with a teaspoon of water, if needed. Use as desired.

Boom! Done! Easy to make, isn't it? Just gather up your ingredients and grind it up. Your Panang curry paste is ready to enjoy.

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Recipe Tips & Notes

  • Add more ingredients. Other ingredients you might include are cilantro roots, coriander root, peanut butter (in place of roasted peanuts), lime zest, mung beans, and others.
  • Rehydrate the chilies. You can easily rehydrate your dried chilies by adding them to a bowl with very hot water. Bring some water to a light boil, then pour over the peppers. You don't have to boil the water completely, but hotter water works best. Let them soak in the water for 20-30 minutes until they are soft.
  • Toast the seeds. The recipe calls for the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns to be slightly toasted. Simply heat a pan to medium heat and add the seeds and peppercorns. No oil is needed. Dry toast them for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until they become fragrant, then continue with the recipe. This is not essential, though toasting the seeds brings out more developed flavor.
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Storage

You can store any leftover curry paste sealed in the refrigerator for 1 week, though I like to freeze it in sealed baggies. It lasts several months this way.

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Cookbook Recommendations

If you enjoy Thai cuisine, I recommend the following cookbooks which I used to adapt this recipe.

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Panang Curry Paste Recipe (8)

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Thai Red Curry Paste
  • Homemade Yellow Curry Paste
  • Green Curry Paste
  • Massaman Curry Paste
  • Curry Pastes from Around the World
  • Curry Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Curry Powder

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

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Panang Curry Paste Recipe (Prik Gaeng Panang)

This homemade Panang curry paste recipe makes the best Panang curry with fresh ingredients, so much better than anything from the grocery store.

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Course: Main Course, Seasonings

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: chile de arbol, curry paste, guajillo, lemongrass

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute minute

Calories: 10kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 16 tablespoons

Tap or hover to scale

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Ingredients

  • 2 guajillo peppers seeds and stems removed (or use puya peppers)
  • 5 dried Thai chilies seeds and stems removed (or use chile de arbol or Japones)
  • 1 small shallot chopped
  • 2 stalks lemongrass chopped (bases removed)
  • 2- inch piece of galangal chopped (skin on)
  • 3 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds lightly toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds lightly toasted
  • 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns lightly toasted
  • Water as needed to thin

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process to form a thick paste. Alternatively, you can grind it by hand with a mortar and pestle for a coarser texture.

  • Thin with a teaspoon of water, if needed. Use as desired.

Notes

Makes about 1 cup of Panang Curry Paste.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 10kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 15mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

Panang Curry Paste Recipe (10)

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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Panang Curry Paste Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is panang curry paste made of? ›

Panang curry paste is the key flavor ingredient in the wonderful, savory-sweet Thai panang curry. Common ingredients used to make it include dried chili peppers, galangal, lemongrass, makrut lime zest, cilantro root and seeds, garlic, shallot, shrimp paste, salt, and peanuts.

What is a good substitute for Panang curry? ›

There is no substitute (just ask Massaman Curry). Fortunately it is very easy to find and most major grocery stores. Vegetables. Carrots and red bell peppers add beautiful color, texture, and nutrition.

Do you just add water to curry paste? ›

The paste is mixed with coconut milk or water plus vegetables, meat or seafood, then served up on a bed of jasmine or sticky rice. You can also use Thai curry paste in warming soups and sizzling stir fries.

How do you use ready made curry paste? ›

Flavor a marinade or rub

The paste will add flavor and help to tenderize the meat as it cooks. The same goes for rubs: Thai curry pastes can be mixed with a little oil and used as a rub for grilled or roasted meats to add flavor and to tenderize them.

Why is panang curry so good? ›

While it has similar ingredients, Panang curry is a bit stronger, richer, sweeter and thicker than Red Curry, as well as slightly nutty thanks to the addition of ground peanuts in the paste. The curry paste is a quick 30 second stick blender blitz!

What is the difference between red curry paste and panang curry paste? ›

Panang curry is typically milder, sweeter, and richer, due to the addition of peanuts and the lower amount of chili used in the curry paste. Red curry, on the other hand, is often spicier and more aromatic, courtesy of a larger quantity of red chilies used to create the curry paste.

What is the difference between massaman curry and panang curry? ›

Massaman has much more complex in flavour and includes ingredients like mace (outer covering of nutmeg), cinnamon, clove and cardamon. These additional ingredients make this dish towards Malaysian and Indian flavours. Panang Thai curry is basically Red Thai curry's sister, just a sweeter and milder version!

Can you buy panang curry paste? ›

Mae Ploy Panang curry paste comes in 400 gram, reseal able plastic tubs that guarantee the freshness and good taste of our product and allow for easy storage. The Mae Ploy curry paste brand is internationally recognised for its quality and rich flavor.

What is another name for panang curry? ›

Phanaeng (Thai: พะแนง, pronounced [pʰā. nɛ̄ːŋ]), also spelled phanang, panang, and other variants) is a type of red Thai curry that is thick, salty and sweet, with a zesty makrut lime flavour.

Do you use a whole jar of curry paste? ›

“If you're making a curry using a jarred paste and don't know what you're going to do with the rest, just make more curry than you need, scaling the recipe up to make use of the whole jar. You can keep the rest for a quick weeknight meal or handy lunch.”

What are the six ingredients commonly used in Thai curry pastes? ›

Thai curry pastes are basically a mix of ground fresh herbs and spices. The most common curry paste ingredients are: chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro root (coriander root), kaffir lime zest, white peppercorns.

What liquid to add to curry paste? ›

To make one, you typically add the curry paste to a skillet, followed by the protein or veggies, then a liquid such as stock or coconut milk. The mixture is then simmered slowly until the sauce is thick and fragrant and everything is cooked through and is usually served over rice.

Do you refrigerate curry paste after opening? ›

Storage. Any Thai curry paste will last in the fridge in an airtight container for several days, BUT unless I have immediate plans to use it in the next few days, I always freeze my curry paste to preserve the flavours.

How do you make store-bought curry paste better? ›

You can also boost the flavor of a store-bought paste that you consider a bit “weak” by adding more of the spices and herbs it already contains. For example, I find store-bought massaman curry paste to be a bit light on the spices, so I add some extra.

What to add to a jar of curry sauce? ›

Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. To remedy this, you can add more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries.

Is Panang curry hotter than green curry? ›

However, Thai green curry is slightly hotter than a panang but milder than a red or yellow.

What is the difference between Thai yellow curry and Panang curry? ›

Yellow Curry draws on turmeric and dried curry for a rich, savory flavor and yellow color. Panang Curry has the nutty, mellow flavor and texture of roasted peanuts ground right into the curry paste.

What does panang mean in curry? ›

Panang curry is a curry that is hard-pressed and not spicy. Panang is often flavoured with a sweet taste and doesn't have a lot of vegetables. Usually, it uses only red chilli, sliced long beans and torn kaffir lime leaves or sliced as decoration.

Is turmeric in Panang curry? ›

Panang curry is salty and sweet red Thai curry with peanut flavors and a wide plaette of spices such as lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, coriander, turmeric and cumin.

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