Welcome to my kitchen! Today, I’m excited to share my extra special Panang Curry recipe, featuring two ingredients straight from my garden: Thai Soldier Long Beans and Thai Blue Butterfly Pea Flowers. These ingredients are simmered in a rich Thai red Panang curry coconut sauce and served over a vibrant blue rice for a gorgeous, flavorful dish that will wow your taste buds!
Check out the video version of this recipe on my YouTube channel.
Coming soon
If you're new here, welcome! I’m Jerra, and I love creating delicious dishes using fresh, wholesome ingredients—many of which I grow in my own garden. However, if you dont grow these ingrediants I have subsitutions that are easily found at the grocery store.
If you're interested in growing Thai Soldier Long Beans or Thai Blue Butterfly Pea flowers, I have seeds, plants, and YouTube video tutorials showing how to grow them.
Thai Soldier Long Bean
- Seeds can be found HERE.
- YouTube video tutorial on how to grow can be found HERE.
Thai Blue Butterfly Pea
- Seeds can be found HERE.
- Live plants can be found HERE.
- YouTube video tutorial on how to grow can be found HERE.
Let’s get started and cook up this colorful, flavorful curry!
Ingredients:
For the Curry:
- 1 lb Thai Soldier Long Beans (or substitute with yard long beans or fresh green beans)
- 2 lbs of ground or thin sliced meat of choice (I’m using shelled and deveined tiger shrimp, but chicken, beef, pork, or tofu all work)
- 2-13.5 oz cans of full-fat coconut milk (Trader Joe’s brand is my favorite!)
- 6 tablespoons palm sugar (or you can substitute with brown sugar)
- 3 dried kaffir lime leaves (find them on Amazon HERE, or grow your own!). There really is no exact subsitute for kaffir lime as it has it's own unique flavor profile. But if you cant find kaffir lime leaves, then use 1TBS of lime zest.
- 1.5 cups carrots cut matchstick style or thick grated
- 3 sweet bell peppers, sliced (I use one red, orange, and yellow for color, but any color works)
- 1 large yellow sweet onion, sliced
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce. I really like this brand which you can find on Amazon HERE.
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil (or your preferred high temp cooking oil)
- 1 cup Panang curry paste. Aroy-D brand is my favorite, you can find it on Amazon HERE. This has a medium spice level. I personally don't like very spicy foods. This recipe was just spicy enough before it was too much for me.
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish. If you do not like cilantro try papalo or culantro.
Serve the curry with regular white rice or try my recipe for Thai Blue Rice which yu can find HERE.
Supplies/Tools:
- Large wok or deep pan
- Knife and cutting board. Find the same Japanese Blue Resin knives I use HERE and the matching magnetic knife board HERE.
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Mixing bowls. Find the rainbow metal mixing bowls I use HERE.
Directions:
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Prepare the Vegetables
- Wash the Thai Soldier long beans or choice of beans, and trim off the woody tips. Cut them into 2-inch pieces.
- Slice the onion, wash and slice the bell peppers, and set everything aside.
- Prepare the matchstick carrots by either cutting them yourself or buying pre-cut.
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Prepare the Protein
- For meat like chicken, beef, or pork, cut it into small strips or chunks. If using shrimp, de-vein and shell it, and then set it aside for later since it cooks quickly. For a vegetarian option, you can use tofu, cut into cubes.
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Stir Fry the Base Ingredients
- Heat 4 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and stir fry until it starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add your meat (if using chicken, beef, or pork) and stir-fry until it’s cooked through. If using shrimp or tofu, we’ll add them later in step 6 to avoid overcooking.
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Add the Beans
- Add your choice of beans to the wok. Stir fry for about 3 minutes on high heat.
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Add Coconut Milk and Flavoring
- Pour in the coconut milk, followed by Panang curry paste, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, and fish sauce. Stir everything together until the curry paste and sugar have fully dissolved.
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Add the Protein
- If you're using shrimp, tofu, or any other quick-cooking protein, add it now. Stir until the shrimp turns pink or the tofu is heated through.
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Thicken the Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Add this slurry to the wok, stirring quickly to thicken the sauce to your desired consistency.
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Add Carrots and Peppers
- Place the matchstick carrots and bell peppers over the top of the curry. Let them steam cook for 5 minutes to retain their crunch while absorbing the flavor. I love keeping a little bite in my vegetables, so they don’t get too soft.
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Final Stir and Garnish
- Once the vegetables have steamed, stir everything together to combine. Remove the wok from heat.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro (or papalo or culantro).
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Serve
- Serve your Panang Curry over a bed of rice or try Thai Blue Rice for a unique twist.
This Panang Curry is an absolute flavor bomb! The combination of the rich, creamy coconut sauce and the vibrant colors of the vegetables makes for a visually stunning and delicious dish. Even though I use a store-bought Panang curry paste, the flavor is still authentic and incredible!
