Panang curry

Background
November 2011 we were on Koh Phiphi in Thailand and one of the last days there, we landed in a "hole in the wall" restaurant with the best food ever. There was a guy standing in the door producing pad thai and other very good food. Then there were a few ladies in the back doing curry on demand. We ordered panang curry and were so positively surprised by it, we were forced to simply try it at home. We even decided to start a chili production to guarantee the supply of chilis for panaeng curry.

Ingredients
The dish
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon shredded lime leaves (I did not have this)
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
200gr sliced pork or beef (actually I had double as much and it worked anyways)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (original recipe said 2 tablespoons, but that was not correct. I tried it with that amount last time and I thought I was about to die of salt excess!!!! So 2 teaspoons is just right)

The curry
1 chilli (original recipe says 1/3 big dried chilies) soaked with seeds removed
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons galangal, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons lemon grass, cut into thin rounds
1 tablespoon coriander root (I did not have this)
1 teaspoon roasted coriander seeds (could not find whole seeds so I used grounded ones, 1,5 spoons to make up for the missing coriander root)
1 tablespoon roasted cumin seeds (actually should only have been 1 teaspoon but I like the taste of cumin)
2 tablespoons garlic
2 tablespoons shallots
2 tablespoon roasted peanuts (actually should only have been 1 tablespoon but I love peanuts)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (make sure you do not use more as it tastes like fish food...)

For a different recipy for Panaeng curry, also refer to the Curry paste post. The only Panaeng curry I tried to cook was this one though.

Instructions
Preparing the curry

1. Start by soaking the chillies in water until they’re soft. This could take up to a half hour. When they’re soft, cut them open to remove the guts & seeds. If you have fresh chilli use that, of course, so you skip the soaking and waiting
2. Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and peanuts separately in a pan over medium heat. Roast each until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Grind up the seeds together in a stone mortar and pestle until powdered. Remove and set aside. I actually used a grinder as it was quicker.
4. Add your chillies with the salt to the stone mortar and pestle and pound until a paste. This will take awhile — the skins are difficult to mash indeed.
5. When your chillies are a uniform paste, add the lemongrass. Pound until a paste. Then add the galangal and coriander roots, and again, smash until paste. Actually tried to use the grinder but it was not so easy to grind.
6. Add the peanuts, shallots, garlic and your powdered cumin & cilantro seeds. Mash until paste. Add the shrimp paste and pound to mix well. Set aside. As it did not really mix so well in the mixer, I added some of the coconut milk, which was a good idea. Not really the thai way, but who cares... :O) I have a good excuse: my mortar is too little and the whole amount does not fit in it... :O)

Preparing the dish

1. Cut your meat cross-grain into thin slices (about 1.5″ (4cm) long x 1/2″ (1.25cm) tall x 1/8″ (.25cm) thick).
2. Heat up your pan first on medium-high heat, then add 1/2 cup of the coconut cream. It should sizzle right away and boil. Add all the paste and mix well.
3. Fry the paste. You want to keep the paste dry, but not too dry that it sticks and burns. Keep adding a little bit of coconut milk when it gets too dry, maybe about 1/4 cup every minute or two. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
4. Keep adding coconut cream about 1/4 cup at a time, every minute or two. You should start to see a lot of oil coming to the top of the curry. This is normal and a sign that you’re doing it right! Personally, even though it is not the real thai stuff, I am no friend of oil swimming around so I actually tried to keep it emulsionated and not that thick as it is supposed to be. I think it tastes better. The one I got in Koh Phi phi was not completely thick either.
5. Your paste should start to smell really good after 4-5 minutes. You’ll start to see a lot of oil rising to the top, especially where it’s bubbling. When it does, add your meat. Myself, not being a fan of the oil floating around, I actually added the meat earlier, and I am indeed happy for that.
6. Cook the meat until cooked, add the lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar, then keep going about 3-5 minutes so the meat is soft. The consistency of the curry should be similar to the photo. If it’s too dry, add a bit more of the coconut milk. Remove and serve.
7. Feel free to garnish with shredded lime leaves and a few leaves of Thai basil. In the original recipe, it says that some fancy restaurants serve it with a bit of thickened coconut cream (thickened with a bit of tapioca flour) which you’re welcome to do too! I personally could not bother... :O)

Took some pictures, but I first need to upload them on my computer. There will be more to come!
Note to self: doubling up the sauce amount instead of the meat could be a better idea.