Thai Food: Phanang (Red Spicy Thai Curry)

Phanang is a wonderful and aromatic spicy Thai curry, that encompasses the Royal Thai cuisine. During my days in Thailand, I'd play host to many Foreign business guests. Phanang was one of the sure bets. My guests loved it. You can't really go wrong with this dish and it tastes wonderful with beef, chicken, fish or pork.

All the ingredients listed below are easily available at the local Asian shops. This recipe should take no more than 30 mins and tastes wonderful with steamed Jasmine rice. On a rare occasion I have also served it with whole wheat pasta, this might be unconventional but it tastes...Awesome!

Cook from your heart, to appeal to the stomachs you know best!!!

Ingredients:

2 pounds meat (beef, chicken, fish or pork)

1 can coconut milk

4 tablespoons phanang curry paste (I prefer the Mae Ploy Thai Phanang Curry Paste, but any other is fine too)

2 tablespoons kafir lime leaves

1 Stalk of lemon grass (cut into 2 inch pieces)

1/2 cup basil leaves

2 tablespoons fish sauce (2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce works fine too. Some people might find fish sauce to be too strong. Note for those who haven't yet tried Fish sauce: please sniff the fish sauce before you buy it.)

Directions:

1. Cut your meat into small pieces (1 inch should be good). Fry the meat in a medium sized pan until it is almost cooked. Set the cooked meat aside.

2. Add four tablespoons of coconut milk to a pan (medium heat). Let the coconut milk come to a boil.

3. To the boiling coconut milk, add 2-4 tablespoons of curry paste. Depending on your preference for spice. Keep stirring the mixture regularly until you see the oil part from the curry paste.

4. Add the cooked meat into the curry paste.

5. Stir until the meat is thoroughly cooked.

6. Add another 8 tablespoons of coconut milk. Keep stirring for around 5 mins.

7. Add the fish sauce and the remainder of the coconut milk.

8. When the coconut milk thickens, add in the basil leaves and the kafir lime leaves.

You should end up with a nice thick curry, which is ready to be enjoyed with Steamed Jasmine rice.

I'd love to hear from you about your culinary out comes.