thaimedium

Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)

Name: Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: 400 ml Coconut Milk; 1 -2tbsp Panang Curry Paste; 200 g Chicken Breast; 100 g Green Beans; 2 -3 tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 -2tbsp Brown Sugar; 2 makrut lime leaves; Handful Basil Leaves; Boiled Jasmine Rice; 6 Red Chilli; 4 Dried Red Chillies; 1 teaspoon Shrimp Paste; 4 Cloves Chopped Garlic; 1 tblsp Galangal; 1 tblsp Lemongrass; Zest of 2 Lime; 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg; 1 tsp Ground Coriander; 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin; 2 tblsp Peanuts

A classic Thai chicken from TheMealDB community kitchen — straightforward technique, real ingredients.

Updated April 25, 2026

min total

servings

251

cal / serving

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Heads up: dietary tags are inferred from listed ingredients. If you have a medical allergy or intolerance, verify each ingredient against a label before cooking. This is not certified-allergen-safe content.

Origin

Categorized as Thai Chicken in TheMealDB. Original source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/panang-chicken-curry-kaeng-panang-gai

Ingredients

400 mlCoconut Milk
1 -2tbspPanang Curry Paste
200 gChicken Breast
100 gGreen Beans
2 -3 tbspFish Sauce
1 -2tbspBrown Sugar
2makrut lime leaves
HandfulBasil Leaves
BoiledJasmine Rice
6Red Chilli
4Dried Red Chillies
1 teaspoonShrimp Paste
4 Cloves ChoppedGarlic
1 tblspGalangal
1 tblspLemongrass
Zest of 2Lime
1 teaspoonGround Nutmeg
1 tspGround Coriander
1 teaspoonGround Cumin
2 tblspPeanuts

Instructions

01
First, make the curry paste. Use a pestle and mortar to pound together the dried and fresh chillies, shrimp paste, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime zest, white pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and peanuts, plus 1 tsp salt. You should have a rough paste. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a food processor along with 2-3 tbsp of coconut milk and pulse until you have a paste. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge. Will keep for up to two weeks.
02
Add 2-3 tbsp of the thick part of the coconut milk into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. When the coconut milk starts bubbling, add 1-2 tbsp of the curry paste and stir well for about 1 min, until fragrant.
03
Stir in the chicken and let it cook for about 3-4 mins until beginning to brown all over. Follow with the French beans and stir well.
04
Season with the fish sauce and sugar, then add the rest of coconut milk. Mix well, add half the makrut lime leaves and simmer for 3-5 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and add more sugar or fish sauce if necessary – it should be salty and nutty, and the sweetness should come through. Add the Thai basil leaves, give it a quick mix and take off the heat. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, garnished with the sliced chilli and the rest of the makrut lime leaves.