Panang Curry with Beef or Chicken
Panang Curry is a nice dish that can be done with chicken, beef or tofu. Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetite
Make 4 – 6 hearty servings
Either
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 “ thick by 3” long strips.
Pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
or
1 lb NY strip steak, Delmonico steak or ranch steak, cut in 1/4 “ thick strips against the grain.
Pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
Choose and Prep Your Vegetables:
You can use one, two or many veggies.
Choose brightly colored vegetables to make this dish pop!
Here are some suggestions:
Carrot, julienne
Sugar snap or snow peas, top and tail and remove strings if they have any
Broccoli, florets and stems (blanch this first)
Always use the stems of the broccoli. To use them pare away the tough outer part of the
stems and then slice them up. Add to the florets and blanch.
summer squash, diced
zucchini, diced
peppers: red, orange, yellow, green, diced or julienne
bok choi, sliced in strips
watercress, coarsly chopped
baby spinach
baby kale
peas
corn
scallion
ramps
Be creative! Just keep in mind that the vegetables need to be firm enough to stand up to a thick sauce. Chinese cabbage would not be a great choice for this dish.
If you choose to use broccoli cut the broccoli into florettes and blanch first then add to the dish at the end.
Cook the Beef or Chicken
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over a medium-high heat.
Chicken: pan sear on all sides and cook lightly just for a minute or two. The chicken will cook more in the sauce. Remove from skillet and place on a plate.
Beef: Quickly sear on both sides – just until the beef changes color on the outside. This takes about 30 seconds each side. Remove from oil and put on a plate.
Sauce
1½ T Sesame Oil
4 cloves minced garlic
4 1/2 oz. minced shallots
1 3/4 oz. grated fresh ginger
¼ cup Arrowhead Mills Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 – 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen red curry paste
1 cup water
1 – 13/14 oz can organic coconut milk
4 – 6 fresh limes, juiced
2 tsp lime zest
1/4 cup agave nectar or coconut nectar
Make the sauce
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and sauté until the shallots are tender – 5 – 6 minutes. If they begin to stick or burn a little before they are cooked enough, add a little water to the skillet, just enough to prevent burning.
Next add the peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste. Stir until fragrant – about 1 – 2 minutes. Whisk in one cup water, then the coconut milk, lime and agave. Bring to a simmer and season with sea salt.
Add the vegetables
Add the uncooked veggies and if you are using chicken put that in the sauce now also. (If using broccoli add it into the pot at the end and cook just long enough to heat it up.) Simmer until the veggies are cooked but still crisp. Stir regularly and gently.
If you are using beef gently simmer the veggies until they are just about done and then put the beef in just long enough to heat it up. Try not to overcook the meat.
The sauce can be made up to three days ahead.
* Variations:
You can use a nice Indian curry powder rather than the Thai chili paste if you prefer.
For extra heat add cayenne or siricha.
Cilantro or parsley is nice to toss in at the end.
Raw or toasted cashews are great! Add when the dish is done.
If you are watching your weight, use light coconut milk.
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