Tofu panang curry recipe
This is one of the most popular curries in Thailand. You’re guaranteed to find panang curry at khao gaeng (rice and curry) shops on every corner. This recipe is quick and simple – just as this kind of food is meant to be. Serve this curry with steamed jasmine rice.
Recipe from Rosa’s Thai Café: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Saiphin Moore. Published by Mitchell Beazley, £20.
Ingredients
For the panang curry- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp panang curry paste
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 200 g firm tofu, cut into chunks
- 6 sweet basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
- 1 red bird's eye chilli, finely sliced
- 0.5 tsp sea salt flakes
- 2 tsp lemongrass, sliced
- 1 lesser galangal root, sliced
- 1 tsp greater galangal, finely sliced
- 0.5 tsp kaffir lime rind or leaves, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp coriander roots (or use fresh coriander stalks), finely sliced
- 5 shallots, sliced
- 6 black peppercorns
- 6 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked until tender
Details
- Cuisine: Thai
- Recipe Type: Curry
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Serves: 2
Step-by-step
To make the curry paste
- Finely grind the drained chillies and salt together using a pestle and mortar or a food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend to a fine paste.
To make the panang curry
- Heat the oil in a wok set over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the curry paste and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Gradually stir in half the coconut milk and cook for about 1 minute, until the oil from the paste rises to the surface of the coconut milk. Once this happens, stir in the remaining coconut milk, then mix in the palm sugar and soy sauce and cook for a further minute.
- Bring the mixture to the boil, then add the tofu. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the tofu is heated through. Stir in the sweet basil, lime leaves and sliced chilli. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
This recipe is from Rosa’s Thai Café: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Saiphin Moore. Published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Louise Hagger.
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