Thai Panang Curry with Vegetables in Instant Pot

Thai Panang Curry recipe is a creamy, rich, and mildly spicy dish made from Panang curry paste cooked in coconut milk with vegetables and tofu in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free & Keto Friendly. It can be prepared in under 30 minutes and is great for weeknight meals.

What is Panang Curry? 

Panang curry is a creamy, rich Asian-style curry sauce with a little spice from red chilies balanced with peanuts and coconut milk. It is also called phanaeng, phanang, panaeng or panang, in Thailand or as penang, or Pulau Pinang in Malaysia. It is generally served with a bowl of sticky rice.

Difference between Panang curry and red curry

Panang curry and red curry both look the same in color, red, but slightly different in taste and texture. Panang curry is less spicy and has a sweet flavor as it contains peanuts and fewer red chilies than red curry.

Ingredients

• Vegetables: You can use a mix of vegetables like colored bell peppers, eggplants, broccoli, and mushrooms, for this Panang curry. I highly recommend adding slow-cooking veggies like eggplants, green beans, and pumpkin before pressure cooking and fast-cooking veggies like bell peppers, and broccoli after pressure cooking, which helps to retain the crunch in the vegetables.
• Coconut Milk: I like Chaokoh Coconut Milk brand. Full fat works best as it contains the creamiest flavors, but low-fat coconut milk works, too.
• Thai Panang Curry Paste: I have used store-bought Maesri brand Thai Panang curry paste (vegan). You can find it in most local grocery stores. If you don't find, you can also use Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste (vegan) instead.
• Peanut Butter: I have used creamy peanut butter in this recipe, but you may also use a crunchy version.
• Protein: I have used plant-based protein organic extra firm tofu in this recipe. You can either pan-fry or bake them before adding them to the curry.
• Herbs: Stir in roughly torn Thai basil and cilantro just before serving. In case you can't find Thai basil, regular basil works well, too.
• Lime juice: Squeeze juice of half lime into the curry for added flavor.
• Low sodium soy sauce: Or tamari for gluten-free. Because it adds the extra zing to the dish.
• Sugar: Use Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar. Otherwise, you can skip it.

How to Make Thai Panang Curry in Instant Pot

Firstly, Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it’s hot, add minced garlic, onions. Saute for about 2 minutes till onions turn soft.

Next, add the Panang curry paste (or red curry paste) and saute for a minute. Sauteeing enhances the flavors of the final dish.

Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ½ cup of water.

Close the lid. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (Low Pressure) and set the timer to 1 minute. If you do not have the low-pressure option, you can set the time to zero minutes.

When the instant pot beeps, allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually.

Stir in fast-cooking veggies like broccoli, colored bell peppers, baked tofu, salt, sugar, and mix well. Boil the curry on the sauté setting for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.

Add peanut butter, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, and basil leaves (roughly torn). Mix everything well. The curry thickens as it cools down.

Serve Instant pot Vegetarian Panang Curry hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Stovetop Pot Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, onions, Saute for about 2 minutes till onions turn soft.
• Then add the panang curry paste and saute for a minute to enhance the flavors of the final dish.
• Stir in 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and ½ cup of water. Bring it to a boil on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes.
• Stir in fast-cooking veggies like broccoli, colored bell peppers, baked tofu, salt, sugar, and mix well.
• Furthermore, Cover the pot and let the curry cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies. They should be fork-tender. Adjust the consistency of the curry at this point. You can add water to thin it out if you desire.
• Add peanut butter, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, and basil leaves (roughly torn). Mix everything well. The curry thickens as it cools down.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Thai Panang curry with vegetables recipe with jasmine rice or coconut rice. If you are looking for a low-carb version, pair it with Cauliflower Rice.

Tips

• Choose full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich curry.
• Most Important, add the fast-cooking veggies in the end and simmer for a few minutes to keep them tender and crunchy.
• If you can't find Panang curry paste, use thai red curry paste instead.
• Some store-bought curry pastes can be hot, so try adding just 2 tablespoons first and increase as you need.
• After pressure cooking, in case you feel the coconut milk has curdled, don't worry, it's absolutely fine. Due to the heat, the fat from the milk gets separated. Make sure to turn on the Saute mode and gently whisk everything together.

Variations

• Feel free to get creative with the vegetables you use here. You could use zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, diced butternut, potato, or sweet potato. For protein, add canned or boiled chickpeas, tempeh, or edamame.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Asian Recipes

• Vegetable Hakka Noodles
• Thai Basil Rice
• Thai Pumpkin Soup
• Vegetable Fried Rice
• Garlic Noodles

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