Panang Curry!

For the last couple years I've been getting hooked on Thai food, and haven't made it much past Panang Curry because it's so good. I think I've finally figured out how to cook it! The trick about curry seems to be that it's impossible to gauge how much curry paste to put into the recipe until you've experimented a little. So the first batch - just do your best with the instructions and err on the low side. This last time I made it, I about melted my face off!

Also, if you want to use authentic ingredients you'll have to head to an actual Asian market. In Denver, try Pacific Ocean, it's an adventure. I would recommend doing this the first time, so you can make the real deal, and stock up on the authentic curry paste, versus the boring stuff at regular grocery stores. I'm not sure they sell Panang curry paste anyway. Then you can substitute whatever you want later.

I started with the recipe here, but I'm going to write it out for you with some suggestions. I've listed alternatives for anything that you can't get in a regular store.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Panang curry paste. Like I said, you have to experiment with this.
• Splash of cooking oil.
• 4 c. coconut milk.
• 2/3 c. chicken breast, cut into bites. I substituted salmon. Also consider tofu, etc. Adjust amount to taste - I probably put in 1-2 cups.
  
• 2 tbsp. palm sugar. Can substitute brown sugar.
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce.
  
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn. Based on some of the user comments, people are substituting lime juice or zest.
• 2 fresh red chile peppers, sliced. (I omitted, since I used too much paste to start, and as previously mentioned, almost spontaneously combusted.)
• 1/4 c. fresh Thai basil leaves. Can substitute regular fresh basil.
• Rice. As much as you want. I did brown rice, most restaurants serve jasmine.
• Alternate ideas for ingredients to add: pineapple, mandarin oranges, mushrooms, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, broccoli, cashews, onion, carrot slices, garbanzo beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, edamame, go nuts!
  

Fry the curry paste in the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Stir the coconut milk into the curry paste and bring to a boil. Add the meat; cook and stir until nearly cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the sugar, fish sauce, and lime leaves into the mixture; simmer together for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced red chile peppers and basil leaves to serve.