Thai chicken and eggplant panang curry
Thai Chicken and Eggplant Panang Curry tastes rich and flavorful and is thicker than other typical Thai curries. Cooking the chicken and eggplant on a grill first, gives this curry a subtle smoky flavor. If that sounds like too much work, scrap this step and brown the eggplant and chicken in batches in a wok or large skillet – whatever you’re cooking the curry in. Using a store-bought curry paste speeds up the prep of this delicious creamy curry from South-East Asia. I bought my Panang curry paste from an Asian market, but it can also purchase online – Amazon of course always has the Mae Ploy brand I use. When it comes to the eggplant, I use whatever variety is growing in my garden that’s the most prolific, for this recipe it was the long Japanese eggplants but use any variety easily available to you.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 446kcal
Author: Lovoni
- 20 oz eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25mm) thick slices 567g
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs 450g
- 1 tablespoon peanut or coconut oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra 30ml
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1/3 cup Panang curry paste I used Mae Ploy brand 80g
- 14 oz can coconut milk 398ml
- 1/2 cup chicken broth 120ml
- 1/4 cup grated palm sugar, or brown sugar 50g
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce 30ml
- 1/2 cup packed Thai basil leaves, to serve, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons lime juice 30ml
- 1/3 cup toasted cashews, chopped 45g or roasted peanuts
- steamed jasmine rice to serve optional
- lime wedges, to serve optional
Toss eggplant slices with oil, salt and pepper. Cook on a hot grill (either a barbecue or a grill pan) for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until softened and grill marks appear. (if you’re using larger eggplants, cut each slice into quarters after cooking).
Lightly coat the chicken in oil. Cook on a hot grill or 7 to 8 minutes per side until browned and cooked. Cut the chicken into cubes or strips
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the curry paste. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, broth, sugar, fish sauce and chicken. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Add the eggplant to the curry; stir. Cook for 2 minutes until the eggplant is hot.
Add Thai basil leaves and lime juice and stir to combine.
Sprinkle the cashews and extra basil leaves over the curry. Serve the curry with rice and lime wedges. Serves 4 to 5.
Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 765mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2537IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
