If Thai curry is your favourite curry, you’ll find yourself loving this creamy less spicy Panang curry. The creaminess of Panang curry and it’s distinct strong flavors is addictive. In fact, I've made three in the past few months. Mind you, some of that has to do with the fact that the only container of Panang curry paste I could find in the store was huge and I am trying to use it up.
This curry uses Chinese long beans. I imagine that the name is offensive to other Asian countries. These beans are also known as snake beans or long beans. They look like a super long green bean and have a similar taste. They add a delicious crunch to this beef and mushroom curry. If you can't find them you could always substitute in regular green beans.
The strange thing about this recipe was the lack of peanuts. Panang curry has peanuts in it, in either crushed form or peanut butter is added. Most recipes call for 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts. Other recipes suggested adding a tablespoon of peanut butter. I added some peanut butter to this - in the step where you mix in the broth (another unusual ingredient but it worked and made the fat content less than if you were to use all coconut milk).
Another change I made was the add the Thai basil leaves to the actual curry and not leave them as a garnish. We LOVE the taste of Thai basil and most Thai curries have the leaves added in at the end just before serving so they wilt and another delicate layer of flavour to the dish. I added about 1/2 cup of leaves (NOTE: you can also use the flowers as well).
I think when I make this again I may use another more tender cut of beef. Flank steak tends to be a tougher cut of beef and it doesn't cook long in the sauce to tenderize it. It wasn't impossible to eat, just a bit more chewy than I would expect in a curry.
I served the curry with some coconut scented jasmine rice. It made for an amazing dinner.
Enjoy!
Panang Curry with Beef and Shiitakes
1 (13.5- to 14-oz.) can coconut milk
1/4 cup Panang curry paste
1 cup lower-salt chicken broth, or homemade chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbs. light brown sugar or light brown palm sugar; more as needed
1 tsp. fish sauce; more as needed
1-1/2 cups bite-size Chinese long bean pieces
3 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed, bruised, and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces
1 lb. flank steak, cut into 1/4-inch-thick bite-size slices
1-1/2 cups stemmed, halved or quartered shiitake mushrooms
1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh or thawed frozen wild lime leaves
Thai basil leaves, for garnish
Shake the can of coconut milk or stir it well (this creates a consistent thickness, since the fat often solidifies at the top of the can).In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan or wok over medium heat, simmer 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. It will get very thick and shiny and may or may not separate; either is fine.Add the curry paste, whisk well, and cook, continuing to whisk, for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, sugar, fish sauce, and remaining coconut milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Add the Chinese long beans and lemongrass pieces and continue to simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary. After 2 minutes, add the beef and shiitakes and continue to simmer until everything is tender and cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
Remove the curry from the heat. Season to taste with more sugar and fish sauce, and stir in the lime leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl (or serve right out of the pot). Remove the lemongrass pieces or tell your guests to eat around them. Garnish with the basil.
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