Beef Panang

Panang (also spelled phanaeng) is the quieter, richer member of the Thai curry family. Where green curry blasts you with chili heat and red curry leans spicy and bright, Panang sits in the middle with a creamy, slightly sweet, peanut-adjacent profile that clings to beef like a glaze. This streamlined version leans on store-bought red curry paste instead of a from-scratch Panang blend and delivers the same concept on a weeknight timeline.

The technique is fast. Stir-fry the curry paste in hot oil until it blooms and smells fragrant, usually about 30 seconds. That short fry wakes up the dormant spices and galangal before the coconut milk ever touches the pan. Then beef, coconut milk, fish sauce, and a pinch of sugar simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the meat turns tender. Peas go in at the end for color.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the beef against the grain and thin. Thick chunks won’t cook through in the 10-minute simmer.
• Don’t skip the paste-frying step. Raw curry paste stirred straight into coconut milk tastes flat and one-note.
• Taste before serving. Some brands of fish sauce and curry paste run saltier than others, so you may want more sugar to balance.
• Shred the chili garnish on the bias. It looks prettier and releases less heat than chopping.

Variations

• Stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter for authentic Panang richness.
• Swap beef for boneless chicken thigh or firm tofu, keeping cook time similar.
• Add kaffir lime leaves or Thai basil at the end for a brighter, more perfumed curry.