I am sure I have said it before on this blog but I’ll just say it again, I absolutely love curries! Â At this point if you’ve read a few of my posts you may have noticed I say this about most food. Â I love meat. Â Love chocolate (who doesn’t?). Â Love coconut. Â I could keep going for a while. Â But truthfully, curry is right at the top of my list.
I have loved curries for as long as I can remember but our true love affair started in the spring of 2014, when I went to Thailand. Â To be fair I think there are lots of great restaurants here in Canada that make real good quality curries. Â But there is nothing like the true taste of an authentic Thai curry cooked by a local lady at the back of her little kitchen shack. Â I don’t know if it’s the fact that they use mostly fresh local ingredients or if they are keeping some of their curry making techniques a secret but somehow it tasted so much better than any curry I had ever tried before.
One night me and some girls I met at my hostel decided to go for dinner and all agreed we wanted to eat Thai. Â We ended up at this tiny little restaurant on the side of the road which quite frankly looked more like an abandoned shack than a place you would order food from. Â But from what I had heard from fellow travellers those little food shacks were usually the ones with the most amazing food, so I was fully expecting to have the best curry I ever tasted.
Well let me tell you that little Thai lady delivered! Â I cannot describe how good this was. Â I started with the panang, my favourite. It was soooo good I just wanted more, but wanted to try a different dish as I was certain it was going to be just as amazing. Â So I promptly went to the lady to point to what I wanted to order next and she gave me a big smile and mumbled something in Thai. Â About 10 minutes later (how did she do it so fast?) she delivers this amazing looking meal, places it in front of me, bows, and goes back to the kitchen. Â Oh my god! Â The Masaman curry was even better! Â I actually went and and gave the lady a hug before leaving. Â Masaman curry is a Muslim curry made with chicken, potatoes and a peanut-y sauce and quickly became a favourite of mine along with the Panang curry. Â It will most likely be my next attempt at making Thai curry and I promise to post the recipe as soon as I get to it (assuming I succeed at making it).
I tried a variety of their local specialties while over there and enjoyed it all very much.  Of course there’s the classics; yellow, green or red curry, all delicious.  One dish I really liked was called Tom Yum and is a coconut milk based soup with lemongrass and usually either seafood or chicken.  Also referred to as hot and sour soup.  Morning glory is some sort of a local green vegetable they cook in oyster sauce and ginger (if I remember correctly) and was a great side dish or starter.  Spicy  green papaya salad was super fresh and delicious.
After coming back to the Great White North I quickly endeavoured to become a curry master, with the help of my wonderful friend, Google.  I ended up with a list of about 5 different Panang recipes to try (of course I started with the Panang), and made it my mission to make the best Panang I ever had.  The bar was high.  Well I can’t say for sure if I managed to make a better version than my Thai friend, but  after mixing all the best elements from each recipe and adjusting it to my liking, I can tell you it’s pretty damn delicious.
I served it with a Cauliflower Coconut “Rice” (link below) and it turned out fantastic.
- 3 large anaheim or red jalapeno chiles (pick a milder type of chile if you want your curry milder)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cardamom pods or tsp of cardamom powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 3 inch piece of ginger, chopped coarsely
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 medium shallots chopped coarsely
- 3 inch piece fresh lemongrass (use the white part), minced
- 7-8 kafir lime leaves or 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1.5 tbsp virgin coconut oil, divided
- 2 lbs prawns, try to use Ocean Wise labeled prawns
- 2 whole red peppers, sliced or diced in bite-size chunks
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin or diced in small chunks
- 6 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced (divided)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 can water chestnuts
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 2 tsp lime zest
- about 1 cup Panang Curry Paste, divided
- 1 to 2 cups coconut cream (only use the fat, not the liquid), divided
- 3` inch piece fresh lemongrass (use the white part), left whole
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews, for garnish
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, for garnish
- salt & pepper to taste
- Start by "toasting" your spices in a frying pan, on low-medium heat, until fragrant.
- Combine spices and all remaining ingredients and, using a food processor, blend until a uniform paste is created. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, ideally a wok, start by melting 1 tbsp of your coconut oil.
- When oil is hot, saute onions and peppers for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add 1 clove of minced garlic, fresh ginger and lime zest and allow to become fragrant. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes, still on low-medium.
- Add about half the total amount of curry paste and coconut cream you will be using and stir with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well blended.
- Add carrots, water chestnuts and the fresh lemongrass stalk to the mix. Let simmer on low-medium heat for about 20 minutes, still stirring, until carrots are almost cooked through
- In the meantime, in a separate frying pan, melt your remaining 1/2 tbsp coconut oil.
- Add remaining clove of minced garlic and add prawns to the pan. Saute for about 1-2 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. Add the remainder of your coconut cream and curry paste and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Incorporate the prawn mixture into the vegetable mixture and add bean sprouts at the very last minute.
- Stir well making sure all ingredients are mixed in. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with toasted cashews and fresh cilantro.
- Serve with Cauliflower & Coconut "Rice", link below.
For the Cauliflower & Coconut "Rice" recipe, click here