Thai Panang curry - Instant Pot
Thai Panang curry is a creamy, mildly spicy dish made from Panang curry paste cooked in coconut milk with vegetables and tofu in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Servings 4
Calories 146kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons panang curry paste (or thai curry paste)
- 1 can 14 oz full fat coconut milk (about 400 ml)
- ½ cup water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup extra firm tofu cubed, baked
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar optional
- salt adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (Or tamari for gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup thai basil leaves
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Firstly, Press Saute. 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, because it 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 together 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 for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- 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 together well. The curry thickens as it cools down.
Notes
I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT
Tips to make the Best Panang Curry
- Choose full-fat coconut milk for a creamy and rich curry.
- Most Important, add the fast cooking veggies in the end and simmer for few minutes to keep them tender and crunchy.
- In case you cant find panang curry paste, use thai red curry paste instead.
- Some store brought 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. It's due to the heat, the fat from the milk is 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 also try zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, diced butternut, potato, or sweet potato and for protein canned chickpeas, tempeh, edamame.
Nutrition
Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1798IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg