Panang Curry

It’s no wonder that Thai is one of my absolute favorite cuisines. After all, mine is far from the only list of global fare which this spectacular cuisine tops. And there is good reason for it’s world wide reverence. To me, Thai food is the embodiment of culinary perfection. This sounds like a bold claim, but I stand by it for several reasons. It is a whirlwind of colors, textures, flavors, and smells.

Firstly, an overarching theme and goal of Thai cuisine is to represent every flavor in the culinary wheel. Within every dish and on every tablescape you can count on tasting elements of all five basic flavors: spicy, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. This may seem a contradictory and unpalatable amalgamation, but every time actually works in a beautifully harmonious blend. That is an incredible feat. Secondly, Thai cuisine utilizes extremely fresh ingredients. I am in love with all the delectably juicy fruits and delightfully crunchy vegetables at play with each other. The chilis are fiery, the fish are local, the curries are pounded to order. Thirdly, Thai cuisine is a master of texture. There are so many wonderful textures across the vast repertoire of dishes. From brothy noodle soups to creamy curries, from the fresh colorful vegetables to the soft ripe fruits, from the silly strings of sugary desserts to the doughy breads and confections, and everything in between, Thai food covers all the bases to keep you on your toes and interested in what’s up next. And fourthly, as I’ve already mentioned above, Thai cuisine is one of the most diverse I’ve ever encountered. And if you know me at all, you know I travel and lot, and I do it all for the food, so I’ve seen some of the best this little ol’ world’s got to offer. Thai cuisine delivers.

Now, I know I’ve gone off in a tangent about the diversity and capacity of Thai cuisine, but still one of my favorite dishes is a classic–the kind that you can find on every menu in every Thai restaurant across America. What is it, you ask? Panang Curry.

I know that it may not be as obscure or mysterious as my ramblings may have led you to foresee. But Panang curry is exemplary of the incredible diversity of color, flavor, smell, and texture that I’ve been talking about. Another reason I love to make this dish at home is that it is very easy to modify according to diet and readily available ingredients (to an extent, of course).

Panang differs from it’s sister, red curry, with the addition of toasted peanuts, which gives the dish a slightly sweeter profile than it’s other curry counterparts. In this recipe, I like to use crunchy peanut butter for this purpose, as well as a bit of coconut sugar and coconut milk, all of which also provide its sweet creaminess. In place of the traditional kaffir lime leaves found in many a Thai dish over, I’ve used fresh lime juice and zest. For the salty flavor, I’ve used some soy sauce, as opposed to the shrimp paste or fish sauce that would normally be used. I’ve also used a hefty dose of fresh minced garlic and ginger. The combination of green chili and a vegan red curry paste provide the curry’s spice.

I love tons of crunchy veggies in all my curries, so I used a combination of chopped onions, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms. For added protein, I incorporated extra firm tofu chunks, which soak up the flavors of the curry really nicely without falling apart in the sauce. One of the wonderful things about this dish, though, is that because the focal point is the curry sauce, you can really take liberty in adding whatever vegetables and proteins you like. The curry sauce comes together very quickly, so the chopping of veggies and tofu takes up the majority of the total time spent on this meal, making this a perfect dish for a weeknight meal.

Now, without any further ado, the recipe.

Vegan Panang Curry with Vegetables and Tofu

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• 4-5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green chili, sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegan red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
• 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or whatever sugar you have on hand)
• 1 package extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 2 large carrots, chopped 1/2 inch thick
• 1 medium bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), chopped
• 1cup broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups quartered mushrooms, button or cremini
• 1 lime, zest of
• 1 lime, juice of
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced, for garnish
• 2 cups dry jasmine rice

Instructions