Prik Gaeng Panang (Thai Panang Curry Paste) Recipe

Panang is one of the most well known curries in Thai cuisine, typically found in central and southern regions of the country. As with other types of gaeng (curry), the backbone of flavor for the dish comes from an intensely aromatic curry paste. In the case of panang, the paste starts out with many of the same components as a basic gaeng phet (red curry)—chiles, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, cilantro roots, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, white pepper, coriander, and cumin seeds. What sets panang curry paste apart is the addition of roasted peanuts and nutmeg, which lend it a distinctive nutty flavor, warm spice aroma, and rich, full-bodied texture.

Using a Mortar and Pestle to Prepare Panang Curry Paste

Traditionally, Thai curry pastes are pounded by hand using a mortar and pestle. This time-consuming and laborious process has become less common in modern times; these days, many Thai cooks prefer to leave the process to dedicated professionals, purchasing high-quality prepared pastes from small family-owned businesses or larger commercial operations that use mechanical kitchen equipment to produce curry bases at scale. It's common for cooks to then adjust these store-bought pastes to fit their tastes and needs with a few additional fresh aromatics. While this approach can certainly be used to turn a can of store-bought red curry paste into a tasty panang curry, I believe there is great value in learning how to prepare a panang paste from scratch in a mortar and pestle before resorting to time-saving cooking methods.

Along with providing a decent arm workout and stress release, using a mortar and pestle helps to build an understanding of the ingredients' textural and aromatic properties and how they work together to form a well-balanced curry paste. Smell is particularly important: one of the most common questions Thai cooks think about when making a curry paste is, "Does it smell good?" The "good" smell you're trying to achieve is one in which all the components are in harmony, so that none stands out more than any other. It's a beautiful thing to observe how the aroma of the paste transforms with each added ingredient.

Tips for Preparing Curry Paste

In order to not tire yourself out during the process, or spend hours working the ingredients into a paste, it's important to follow some basic mortar and pestle principles.

• Make sure to thinly slice the fresh aromatics—lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, garlic, and shallot—before adding them to the mortar; smaller pieces are much easier to process into a paste.
• Add only one ingredient at a time to the mortar, and don't move on to the next one until you have fully pulverized the latest addition; overcrowding the mortar will just slow you down and make a mess.
• Use the weight of the pestle to your advantage; start by simply tapping the ingredients with the heavy pestle to crush them, and then move onto more energetic pounding.
• Embrace the process; once you get the paste going, it becomes easier to incorporate each subsequent ingredient.
• If you are looking for a little arm relief when making this panang paste, you can grind the peanuts and whole spices separately in a spice grinder before incorporating them into the paste in the mortar and pestle.

This recipe produces roughly four ounces (1/2 cup) of panang curry paste, which is the equivalent of one can of store-bought paste. This makes for easy like-for-like substituting for times when you don't feel like making curry paste from scratch. It also explains why this recipe can't be made easily in a standard-sized food processor or blender: The ingredient quantities are too small to be processed and would just get stuck to the sides of the blender jar or processor bowl without getting pulverized. Finally, if you want to go the store-bought route, but can't find canned panang curry paste, you can easily doctor up a can of store-bought red curry paste by pounding it in a mortar and pestle with one stalk of lemongrass (prepared following the recipe instructions below), along with the same quantity of peanuts, nutmeg, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns called for in the recipe.