Good things really do happen to those who wait (and wait and wait): My oldest son, Dan, got engaged to Carolann earlier this month. To celebrate, we threw a big dinner party with our families, after which everyone (most of all the cook — me!) was exhausted.
No worries. Dan made dinner the next day with all the fresh goodies we’d picked up during a shopping excursion to Pittsburgh’s Strip District.
Made with unsweetened coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, panang curry is a bit milder than other Thai curries. But it’s hardly short on flavor, even if you have to forgo the thick, fragrant lime leaves (they’re elusive in Pittsburgh on short notice) and use fresh lime juice instead, and are liberal with the chili pepper.
Because pumpkin is all the rage in the fall, Dan added cubed cooked butternut squash. The end result was pretty darn delicious, with no leftovers.
Dan’s Panang-Style Pumpkin Curry
4-oz. can Thai Panang curry paste (available in Asian grocery stores)
Vegetable oil for frying
2 14-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk, divided
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes (1 inch in diameter)
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 cups green beans, trimmed and washed
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. palm or brown sugar
Juice from one lime
Fish sauce (to taste)
Chili flakes (to taste)
1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
To a hot wok or deep-rimmed frying pan, add Thai curry paste with a small bit of oil. Saute for a minute on medium heat to release the flavor of the chili paste
Slowly add in around 1/3 of the coconut milk in the first can and slowly bring to a simmer. Keep adding coconut milk slowly until you’ve added a full can. Then add the second can. Continue stirring — if you’re lucky, the oil from the curry paste will release shimmer to the top (which is a sign of a good curry).
While the curry is cooking, microwave or boil the squash until almost completely cooked.
Add chicken to currry sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Add in the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Once veggies are almost completely cooked, add in the squash, peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.
Continue cooking for a few minutes until the peanut butter is completely melted and the sauce can coat the back of a spoon. Season with chile flakes and chopped basil. The curry should be spicy enough to leave a faint afterburn in your mouth. Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies or adjust the heat to your liking.
Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
Serves 4 to 6.
— Dan McKay
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