Panang Curry

I adore Thai Food. There is something unique about thai cuisine which makes it more sophisticated somehow. I think it is the coconut milk.

The only problem with thai food is that it can be quite expensive. I found a solution to this when I discovered this recipe a couple summers ago. All the ingredients could be found at an asian market, they weren't too expensive, recipe wasn't hard and the end result was delicious. I fell in love. I made this recipe for everyone. Multiple times. Ask my family or my roommates from that year, I was obsessed with it. But I guess I kind of got over it, or maybe I just forgot, or found new recipes to try. In any case, I realized that I had never made my Panang Curry for Matthew. And so I whipped out the recipe, made a trip to the Asian market and got busy.

It was just as good as I remembered. We had our neighbors over for dinner and we all deemed it a success. If you like thai food, I really hope you try Lettuce Wraps that I will post soon...

Lime leaves have a very strong flavor and don't soften much with cooking. This is why you remove most of the leaves before serving. But I still like the continued flavor, so I chop two very finely and leave them in.

Panang Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts,

1-2 Tbsp Panang Curry Paste (depending on how spicy you like it)

2 cans coconut milk coconut milk (about 4 cups)

8 kaffir lime leaves, 6 whole, 2 finely chopped (see above picture)

Dash of salt

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 bell peppers- red, orange or yellow, cut into thin julienne strips and halved

8-10 cups cooked rice

*curry paste, lime leaves, fish sauce and coconut milk can all be found at most Asian markets

Directions:

1. Wash the chicken and cut into thin, bite size pieces, and fry until barely done.

2. In separate pan, fry bell peppers until al dente, soft but with a crunch to them, set aside.

3. Heat 1 can of coconut milk over medium heat until the oil surfaces. Add curry paste, stir constantly for 2 minutes until fragrant and red oil surfaces. Add the chicken, and cook for a further 2 minutes or until done. Add the remaining coconut milk.

4. Season to taste with salt, fish sauce, sugar and whole lime leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add chopped lime leaves and bell peppers and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove whole lime leaves and let curry rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

5. Spoon 1-2 cups rice in each bowl and top with curry.