Lemongrass Panang Curry

Our Lemongrass Panang Curry is so easy to make at home. The recipe calls for flank steak, but chicken, shrimp, or pork would all work, and for a vegetarian version, crispy pan-fried tofu is a great option.

We keep things simple by letting the steak and vegetables simmer right in the curry, so everything comes together in one pan and soaks up all that flavor along the way. That's part of what makes this such an easy weeknight meal.

The curry itself starts by mixing the Lemongrass Panang Curry with water to make a paste, then frying it briefly in coconut oil. Don't skip that step. That minute in the hot oil wakes up the spices before you add the coconut milk, broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Fresh lime goes in after the curry comes off the heat, so its bright flavor stays fresh. Finish the dish with cilantro, mint, lime, and chopped peanuts, or set everything out on the table and let everyone finish their bowl however they like.

Once you've made it a few times, don't feel locked in. There are plenty of ways to play with it. Try grilling or searing the steak, roasting or sautéing the vegetables, swapping rice for soba or egg noodles, or using cashews instead of peanuts. None of it is necessary, but that's part of the fun of finding your own favorite way to make it.

Years ago, while traveling in Jamaica, I had carbonara for the first time. Italian cooks would come to the island during the long European holiday season and open restaurants catering to Italian travelers, bringing many of their ingredients and traditions with them. I fell hard for carbonara on that trip. I think I ate it almost every night I wasn't eating jerk chicken, and after years of ordering it in restaurants and making it myself at home, that first version in Jamaica is still one of the best I've ever had. Panang curry has a similar place in my food memory.

You might expect my favorite Panang story to come from Thailand, and I've certainly eaten plenty of wonderful curry there. But one of the best Panang curries I can remember was in Amsterdam. We were only there for a day or two, and I couldn't tell you the name of the restaurant today. What I do remember is the curry.

It was rich and aromatic, with the coconut, chile, citrus, and warm spices all coming together in that balance that makes a great Panang so satisfying. The experience stuck with me, and when we later developed Lemongrass Panang Curry for our Spice 'n Easy line, I'm sure that bowl in Amsterdam was somewhere in the back of my mind.

Food has a funny way of doing that. A dish can belong to one place, travel halfway around the world, and become part of your own food story somewhere completely unexpected.

When we originally developed Lemongrass Panang Curry for our Spice & Easy line, we wanted to capture that character while giving our version a brighter, more citrus-forward personality.

Our Red Thai Curry made a natural starting point because Panang and red curry share many of the same foundational flavors. From there, we pushed the lemongrass and makrut lime forward, giving our version the fresh, aromatic citrus character we were after.

Peanut is another important part of what makes Panang distinctive. In our recipe, peanut butter brings that nutty richness into the curry, where it combines with coconut milk, chile, and the warm spices in the seasoning to create a rich, flavorful sauce. A squeeze of fresh lime at the end adds one last layer of brightness.