Panang Chicken Curry (Kaeng Panang Gai)

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cupscoconut milk, thick part used first, rest added later
• 1 1/2 tbsppanang curry paste, 1–2 tbsp; use store-bought or homemade (see below)
• 7 ozchicken breast, sliced
• 3 1/2 ozgreen beans, trimmed
• 2 1/2 tbspfish sauce, 2–3 tbsp; to taste
• 1 1/2 tbspbrown sugar, 1–2 tbsp; to taste
• 2 leafmakrut lime leaves, halved; half added during cooking, half for garnish
• thai basil leaves
• 5 1/4 ozjasmine rice, steamed; to serve
• 6red chili, for homemade paste; some sliced for garnish
• 4dried red chilies, for homemade paste
• 1 tspshrimp paste, for homemade paste
• 4 clovegarlic, chopped; for homemade paste
• 1 tbspgalangal, for homemade paste
• 1 tbsplemongrass, finely chopped; for homemade paste
• 2lime, zest only; for homemade paste
• 1 tspground nutmeg, for homemade paste
• 1 tspground coriander, for homemade paste
• 1 tspground cumin, for homemade paste
• 2 tbsppeanuts, for homemade paste
• white pepper, for homemade paste

Method

1. 1

   For the paste, pound the dried and fresh chilies, the shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, ground coriander, cumin, nutmeg and peanuts in a mortar with 1 tsp of salt until it breaks down into a rough paste.

2. 2

   Spoon 2–3 tbsp of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can into a saucepan over medium-high heat and let it come to a bubble.

3. 3

   Add 1–2 tbsp of the curry paste and stir it into the bubbling cream for about a minute, until it smells fragrant and the oil begins to separate.

4. 4

   Stir the sliced chicken in and cook it for 3–4 minutes, until the outside has turned pale all over, then add the Green beans.

5. 5

   Season with the fish sauce and sugar, pour in the rest of the coconut milk and drop in half the makrut lime leaves. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

6. 6

   Taste it and correct with more fish sauce or sugar. A Panang should read salty and nutty first, with the sweetness arriving behind it.

7. 7

   Fold the Thai basil through and take the pan straight off the heat. Serve over jasmine rice with the sliced chili and the remaining lime leaves on top.