Panang beef curry
Thin slices of beef in a thick, rich coconut curry with a nutty edge and a squeeze of lime, faster than ordering Thai.
- 35 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $5.26 a serving
- 690 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- 1 lb sirloin steak
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 lime
- 6 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only
From your pantry
- 2¼ cups water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Each serving has about 690 calories, 33 g protein, 68 g carbs and 32 g fat, and costs about $5.26 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No sirloin steak? New York strip steak or ribeye steak works.
- No coconut milk? Light coconut milk works.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No limes? Lemons work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice and bring it with the water in a .
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook 15 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Cut the steak across the grain into .
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Spoon the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can into a large and bubble it over medium 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it looks oily at the edges.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Don’t shake the can first. The thick layer on top is what fries the curry paste.Stir in the curry paste and peanut butter and cook 1 minute, .
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: Panang paste is hard to find. Red curry paste plus a spoon of peanut butter is the easy stand-in.Add the beef and stir 2 minutes, until no red is left on the outside.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk with the fish sauce and sugar and 3 to 4 minutes, until the beef is cooked through and the sauce is thick.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Stir in the pepper and cook 2 minutes, until just soft.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Squeeze in half the lime, tear in the basil, and serve over the rice with the rest of the lime in wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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