Panang Curry, ala Eolian

Panang Curry has forever been the benchmark by which I have judged Thai restaurants.  And I have been struggling for years to come up with my own perfect Panang Curry recipe.  Until now, I have come close, but have missed the mark in one gustatorial dimension or another.

Not any more.

Magic

I have found the magic.

Now mind you, this doesn't get you all the way there, but it is close.  Still needed are a little more peanut flavor, some sweetness, and (perhaps the most magic ingredient of all) some ginger.

Here's my recipe (makes 4 very generous servings).  If there are only two of you, make the full recipe, but only half the rice.  Use the rest on a second batch of rice another day.

Ingredients - serves 4

• 2 cups Basmati/Jasmine rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp salt

•  2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced into 1/4" pieces
• 3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 green Bell pepper, diced into 1/4"pieces
• 1/2 cup of carrots sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 1 large stem broccoli, sliced thinly, including the entire stem.
• 1 8 oz can pineapple chunks in water, drained
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups cooked chicken (left overs work best!), cut into chopstick-sized pieces
• 1 12 oz can of coconut milk.  Do not use "light".
• Mae Ploy Panang Curry Paste
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 4 Tbsp Thai basel, chopped with scissors
• 1 cubic inch of fresh ginger, sliced thinly and diced
• Zest and juice of one lime

The Rice

1. Start the rice - this always takes the longest and can tolerate waiting the best...  Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add 2 tsp salt.
2. Once boiling, add the rice.  Stir immediately to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan and cover.  When the water again comes to a boil stir again, lower the heat to low, crack the lid and start on the curry.

 The Curry

1. Stir fry the onions and carrots in a couple of Tbsp of olive oil in a 2-qt saucepan until just beginning to get tender.  
2. Add the pepper and continue to stir fry.
3. Add the garlic and continue to stir fry.
4. When the garlic just begins to stick to the pan and/or the pepper is just getting tender, add the broccoli.  Note that Asian cooks don't discard the stems of the broccoli - just cut off the dried out end and slice the rest thin.
5. Stir fry the broccoli until the color changes to bright green.
6. Add the coconut milk, sugar, pineapple, and peanut butter.
7. The Mae Ploy paste comes in a plastic bag inside the container.  Cut off a corner of the bag to make an opening about 3/4" diameter.  Extrude a log of curry paste about 3" long and 3/4" diameter into the pan (more if you are a 4-5 star kind of person, a little less if 2 stars is more to your liking).
8. Mix well.  Add the chicken. 
9. Once everything has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the aromatics (ginger, basil, lime zest and juice).  Stir.  You should have enough curry to nearly fill a 2--quart saucepot - 4 generous servings.
10. Reserve enough basil to garnish the servings

Meanwhile, you have been checking the rice all along, right?  When there is no more water visible and there are a bunch of holes in the surface, turn off the heat.  Wait another 5-10 minutes, until the last of the water has been absorbed and you have "sticky rice".

Divide the rice onto 4 plates, divide the curry onto the rice, and garnish generously with the chopped Thai basil.

Present with chopsticks (naturally!)

Panang Curry, ala Eolian