Butter bean Thai Panang curry recipe

Saiphin Moore
·2 min read
Butter bean panang curry - Louise Hagger
Butter bean panang curry - Louise Hagger

Butter beans go well with so many things, and their creamy texture gives this curry some body. Panang curry should be smooth and creamy, with dominant salty and spicy flavours, followed by a mild sweetness from the palm sugar.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes

SERVES

One or two

INGREDIENTS

For the panang curry paste: 

  • 6 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked until tender

  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes

  • 2 tsp sliced lemon grass

  • 1 lesser galangal root, sliced (leave out if unavailable)

  • 1 tsp finely sliced greater galangal (or use shop-bought paste)

  • ½ tsp finely sliced kaffir lime rind or leaves

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 1 tsp finely sliced coriander roots (or use fresh coriander stalks)

  • 5 shallots, sliced

  • 6 black peppercorns

For the curry:

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 tbsp panang curry paste

  • 300ml coconut milk

  • 1 tbsp palm sugar

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

  • 1 tbsp thinly sliced lesser galangal (leave out if unavailable)

  • 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

  • 235g can butter beans, rinsed and drained

  • Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

To garnish:

  • Sliced red chillies

  • A few sliced kaffir lime leaves or sweet basil leaves

METHOD

  1. First, make the curry paste. Finely grind the drained chillies and salt together using a pestle and mortar or a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to a fine paste. This makes more than you need for this curry, but can be stored in the fridge for up to three months, or the freezer for up to six months, for future use.

  2. To make the curry, heat the oil in a wok set over a medium heat. As soon as the oil is hot, add a tablespoon of curry paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

  3. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously. Once the coconut milk and the paste are well blended, add the palm sugar, soy sauce, crushed peanuts and lesser galangal to the wok and cook for one to two minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lime leaves and cook for a further minute, then add the butter beans. Now leave to bubble gently over a medium heat for about five minutes or until the sauce thickens.

  4. Garnish with the sliced chillies and herbs and serve with rice.

Recipe from Rosa’s Thai Café: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Saiphin Moore (Mitchell Beazley, £20). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk