Curries are one of my favorite dishes to make when you need something warm and filling, especially panang curry. They are easy to riff on and combinations are really endless of types of curry, veg, and proteins you can use. You can make curries as sweet, spicy, or salty as you like. They can also be served in a multitude of ways: rice, noodles, bread, even on its own!

Ingredients

Curry paste – Regardless of the curry paste I use, I always like to start with my own base of chilis, garlic, and ginger. I think it adds a lot more flavor to the curry overall and I like mine extra spicy. Omit the extra chilis if it’s too spicy for you. I recommend the Mae Ploy brand for panang curry paste.

Protein – I like experimenting with different variations of protein, so choose whatever you like best. I do suggest if you use other proteins (tofu, chicken, beef, pork, seafood) that you cook them through first, and then add to your curry towards the end, like the paneer.

Veg – Sauteed/wilted spinach is one of my favorite cooked vegetables and it’s also so easy. Pumpkin is also widely available due to the season. Use any vegetables that you may find in season like kale, peppers, onions, kabocha squash, or bokchoy, to name a few.

Coconut milk – Buy the canned coconut milk, not the one you see in in the cardboard or plastic containers you might see near the cow milk. When you open it, you may see that the coconut cream has separated from the milk. Don’t worry. Just mix it all together and you have your fatty coconut milk!

Side – Rice is the classic side to a curry but try it with a noodle! The curry makes for a luxurious sauce and it’s also not bad to dip a crusty piece of bread into.

Method