Panang Vegetable Curry

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Homemade Panang Curry Paste is the spicy backbone of this velvety vegetable-packed curry from southern Thailand. Serve it with bowls of jasmine rice for a hearty lunch or dinner.

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  • 8

Ingredients

  • For Curry Paste:
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Panang Curry Paste (ingredients & recipe here)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
  • 2 1/3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable stock
  • 8 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 dried chiles de árbol
  • 1 4-lb. kabocha squash, cut into 8 wedges, seeded, or 2 acorn squash, quartered, seeded
  • 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 lb.), cored, broken into 1"–2" florets
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut on a diagonal into 1/2" slices
  • 2 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed
  • 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, bottom 4" only, tough outer layer discarded, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh (or frozen, thawed) galangal
  • 6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 fresh serrano chiles, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • concentrate or 2 Tbsp. tamarind paste mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 12-oz. package firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 1" cubes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup cup chopped peanuts
  • Steamed jasmine rice

Preparation

Step 1

Curry Paste:

Place dried chiles in a medium bowl; cover with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain; place chiles and all remaining ingredients in a mini-processor; process until paste forms. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 months ahead. Store airtight in freezer.

Curry:

Heat oil in a large heavy wide pot over medium heat. Add shallots, Panang Curry Paste, and ginger; stir until shallots begin to soften, 2–3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk; stir until browned, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, lime leaves, and chiles; stir to blend, scraping up browned bits.
Add kabocha squash to pot, set on sides so all pieces fit in a single layer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until squash is almost tender, 15–20 minutes. Remove squash from pot; stir in cauliflower, carrots, and peppers. Return squash to pot, placing on top of vegetables; cook until all vegetables are tender, 10–15 minutes. Transfer squash to a plate.

Stir tamarind concentrate, half of basil, fish sauce, and lime juice into pot; add tofu. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes, adding more stock if too thick. Season to taste with salt.
Divide curry among bowls; top each with 1 wedge of squash; sprinkle remaining basil and peanuts over. Serve curry with steamed jasmine rice.

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