Panang Chicken Curry

Do you have a list of foods that you don’t like, but want to? Curry has been one of those dishes for me. It’s all the things I love, though…rice or noodles or even rice noodles, veggies, sauce (I want all the sauces on everything I eat). For some reason, though, curry has been something I’ve avoided making or ordering because it just didn’t taste that amazing to me.

Cut to me devouring everything that Jen Hatmaker has written or spoken and she talks about this “delicious” curry dish that she makes, her family loves, and how everyone who eats it wants seconds + thirds.

Maybe it was her flowery description of the curry, or perhaps my need to try new delicious recipes, but I just HAD to have it! I ordered 2 ingredients from Amazon (because Jen shared the links for me and that seemed a lot easier than searching for them out in the world) and the rest I was able to get from our local grocery store or right from our cupboards and refrigerator.

Now, before you click out of this post because I just keep saying how much I don’t like curry, if you have felt the same way—stick around…it’s worth it, I promise!

I can be 100% honest with you that not only is Panang Chicken tasty, but we’ve chosen to eat it 4 different times in a week because it’s so darn good! Bonus, this recipe makes a butt-ton (official measuring method) and will feed your whole tribe (gotta use Jen’s lingo when writing about her recipe).

Down to business…

What You’ll Need:

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Veggies—now here’s where the details are fuzzy. She doesn’t give any measurements for the veggies but suggests thinly-sliced snap peas, green beans, red or green bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. I stuck to these veggies, minus the green beans, and it worked out well! I used 8oz of snap peas, 1 red pepper, 1 white onion, and 1 (8oz) package of button mushrooms. You can add as few or as many of any of the veggies as you like, or even add some different ones!

Salt to taste—I will tell you my method for adding salt to dishes like this—10 cranks of the salt grinder (cooking science—HA!).

A few shakes of curry powder—I did 10 shakes (b/c, again, more cooking science).

2-4 Tbsp red curry paste—I used 2 the first time and will probably bump up to 3 next time! You can buy this from the angels over at Amazon HERE.

1-2 tsp. Kaffir lime powder—I used 2 tsp. and thought it was too much when I first tasted the curry, but it totally mellowed by the next day and all the ingredients had melded together. You can thank Amazon again and buy it HERE. It’s a little pricey, but this jar will last you quite a while.

1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce

3, 14oz cans coconut milk—I used light and you couldn’t even tell.

2 cups veggie or chicken stock—I used low-sodium chicken broth.

1 lb. chicken breasts, thinly-sliced—You could use any meat you’d like…or no meat at all!—I will add 2 lbs. next time b/c more protein is always a good thing.

1 Tbsp. cornstarch as a thickener

3 Tbsp. water

Rice or noodles, cooked to package directions

Fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Thinly slice all veggies.

2. Heat olive oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add veggies + salt + curry powder, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add curry paste + lime powder, stir, and cook until the paste is evenly distributed.

4. Add fish sauce + coconut milk + stock. Whisk to combine.

5. Add sliced (raw) chicken or preferred meat. Trust me…it gets cooked!

6. Simmer curry for 15+ minutes.

7. Mix cornstarch + water in a jar (or whatever you have with a lid). Give it a good shake so the 2 ingredients combine. Add slowly to the curry and stir until it is thickened.

8. Serve curry over rice or noodles and top with chopped basil.

I’m not even joking that I’ve wanted to eat this for days upon days after making it. Also, we dabble in meal-prep, so the day we fixed a big ol’ mess of chicken, I saved-out one of our huge Costco packs of boneless skinless chicken thighs and used it for the recipe. If you haven’t tried that cut of meat, you need to! So delicious and healthy!

All my thank-you’s to Jen Hatmaker for winning me over to the curry cheering section with her Panang Chicken Curry recipe and, let’s admit it, her darn endearing Southern accent! I

Have you joined our Facebook group yet? I’d love to see you over there, friend!