Thai Panang Curry

This recipe was absolutely new for Mikey and I, we absolutely love Thai food, but have never dared cook it. I think it is partially because it seems like something that would be very intimidating, there are special ingredients, and I don’t want to burn my mouth out with spice. I won’t lie the first try of this dish was so spicy I could smell it and my eyes would tear up (don’t worry it has been adjusted). However, none of these things are true. If you find the right stuff, pay attention to the recipe, it is actually quite simple to make a wonderful panang curry. Not to mention that it will open up a whole other world. To purchase our kaffir lime leaves and curry paste we went to a wonder market called Simpang Asia on National near
Overland in Los Angeles, and we are officially obsessed!

Panang curry is probably my favorite of the Thai curries out there; it is incredibly fragrant and a bit milder than other curries. It is unlike most curry dishes because it is not soupy, it is rich and the sauce really sticks to the meat. The flavor of kaffir lime, coconut, and the curry paste are really fresh, and bring a bright pop to your palate; things that we tend to crave in the spring. So try this recipe out, serve it with rice or on its own, you can even substitute the beef with chicken or firm tofu.

Ingredients: serves 6

*if you want to make rice, I suggest brown rice!
2 ½ Tablespoons   red curry paste
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow onion
½ cup bamboo shoots
6 sprigs basil
2 teaspoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 ½ 12 or 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
2 lbs filet mignon tips
1 Tablespoon grated ginger

Start by setting your mise en place up. Cut all of your meat into thin strips, thinly slice your onion, and cut your red bell pepper into 2 inch long and ¼ inch wide strips. Your bamboo shoots should be in little strips if not, cut them that way. Heat a rather wide sauté pan, with a little pam in it, and brown your meat on both sides, but don’t cook all the way through. Set aside, draining the meat from the liquid.

In the same pan, heat ½ of a can of coconut milk, the kaffir lime leaves, and curry paste on medium high heat. Cook and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add remaining coconut milk, onion, and basil. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes, constantly stirring until everything thicken and is fragrant.

Add the meat, bell pepper, bamboo, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and grated ginger. Stir and cook until the meat is cooked through. Serve alone or over rice.