Panang Curry
This Thai beef builds beef sirloin or rump, panang curry paste and coconut cream into a comforting meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Slice the beef across the grain into thin bite-sized strips and grind the peanuts to a coarse rubble in a mortar or processor.
- Heat the oil with the thick coconut cream in a wide pan over medium heat until it splits and turns glossy, then stir in the panang paste and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply fragrant.
- Add the beef and turn it through the paste for 2 minutes to coat, then pour in the coconut milk along with a splash of water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the ground peanuts, fish sauce, palm sugar and three torn lime leaves, then simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Taste and balance with extra fish sauce or sugar so it is rich, slightly sweet and mildly salty, adding salt only if needed.
- Finish with the remaining lime leaves cut into hair-thin shreds, sliced red chili and Thai basil, and serve hot over jasmine rice.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
- Lime
- lemon
What to serve with Panang Curry
- Pad See Ew Chicken
- Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Pad Thai Seafood
- Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai) Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Panang Curry take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Panang Curry is an original Thai recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Panang curry (42943883862).jpg by Vee Satayamas from Bangkok, Thailand, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.