What is Panang Curry Paste?
Panang curry paste is a Thai recipe that dates back to 1890 in the country's central region. This red curry has a fiery heat that can be mild or hot. Be warned; even the mild version classically has an intense heat. The paste is made from chili peppers, lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal with a handful of additional spices. The flavors here are well-rounded, zesty, and warm. Panang curry paste is often used with coconut milk for curry.
What does Panang Curry Paste Taste Like?
Umami is one of five main tastes. It is savory with a depth of flavor. Umami is a taste in many foods, including meat, seafood, beans, and nuts. It is both naturally occurring and created through the specific use of ingredients to create a satisfying taste. Umami is characteristic of proteins and savory dishes.
Spicy is a flavor that brings heat and fire to food by creating a burning sensation in the mouth or sinuses. Spicy flavors come from hot peppers, horseradish, and wasabi. Spicy adds a kick and sometimes complexity to a dish and releases endorphins, creating a mildly addictive quality.
Ingredients
The green chili pepper is a spicy vegetable by culinary standards, but botanically it's a fruit. Green chili peppers have thin, green bodies with a tapered bottom. They are 2-3 inches in length with a one inch diameter. Their skin is a medium shade of green and is shiny and very thin. The flesh of the pepper is thin too and contains hot seeds in its center. It is an extra hot chili with a wonderful flavor and used in many dishes to add heat.
Shallot are a type of onion with a milder flavor than the large bulb varieties. Shallots are small onions in a lumpy oblong shape. They have a papery dry, brown skin that protects the ringed layers of the onions flesh. These layers are white with hints of purple and are juicy and crunchy. The shallot has a sweet and gently sharp taste that once cooked lends a silky and savory sweetness to a dish.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climates and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and becomes hard. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because due to this.
Dried red chili peppers are a fruit, yes a fruit and not a vegetable. They have a red skin and varying levels of heat depending on the type of chili. Red chili peppers include cayenne, guajillo, and bird's eye among others. Dried red chili is made from the fresh chili pepper and dried using air or mild heat. These chilies may be whole, or as a powder. They add heat and flavor to a dish. Some chilies have a green flavor and sometimes taste slightly floral; however, the spicy heat is the overwhelming quality of a chili.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Kaffir lime leaves, also known as makrut lime leaf or leech lime leaves are a very popular addition to numerous South Asian cuisines. The leaves are harvested from lime trees and are green and shiny. They are wide and oblong. The scent and flavor is citrusy and refreshing with a flavor that has a hint of sourness. They are cooked into many dishes, stir fries, curries and more.
Lemongrass is an herb used in food and drink as a flavoring and is not generally consumed as a food item, due to its tougher texture. Lemongrass grows 3-5 feet tall and is sturdy and fibrous with white bottoms and pale green tops and looks like a very thick grass, which it is. In food preparation it is usually infused into hot water, or cut into small pieces and added to the cooking process to impart flavor. The taste is bright, citrusy and has a mint quality.
Galangal powder is made from the dried root of the galangal plant, related to ginger. The root looks similar to ginger too. This powder varies in color from beige to brown. The flavor is very different from ginger, though has some similarities. It is sharp, spicy and almost has a horseradish pickle flavor, with a citrus quality. Galangal is used in small amounts in Thai food and is a key ingredient in Thai curry pastes.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant. These seeds are a warm beige color with a round and slightly oblong body and a pointy, yet harmless top. The seeds taste citrusy, warm, nutty and spicy. Coriander is popular in various cuisines, including Indian and Latin cooking.
Mace comes from the lacy red coating around nutmeg. Mace is dried and ground into a powder used as a seasoning in desserts and some savory dishes. Occasionally it is sold whole. The color is a warm brownish orange. The flavor is delicate and similar to nutmeg, with a warm spicy taste that is reminiscent of a pungent cinnamon.
Black cardamom is the mature version of green cardamom. Green cardamom is harvested young. Black cardamom is a small, hard, and oblong brown pod with black seeds. The seeds are ground into a powder and used to flavor savory foods. Black cardamom has a pungent and smoky flavor.
Cilantro is a leafy herb with a thin green stalk and small, partially fringed green leaves that look similar to a three leaf clover. It has a distinct smell that is similar to a lime and a flavor to match that. In addition, it smells and tastes the same and has a strong flavor with a hint of greens. Due to a genetic trait, some people find that cilantro tastes like soap. This herb is used in many cuisines, particularly from Asia and Central and South America.
Cumin is a spice used in many cuisines around the world. The seed which cumin is ground from, has a thin and long body with tapered ends. Cumin is just a few millimeters in length and has a light brown or tan tone, which can look a bit grey. The flavor is spicy, earthy and nutty.
