An easy 30-Minute recipe for a restaurant-style Thai favorite, Panang Curry. This mildly spicy, slightly sweet and creamy coconut curry can be made in a pressure cooker with Chicken, Seafood or Tofu (vegan).
Heat the Instant Pot on Saute mode. Add coconut milk and curry paste, and stir well until it blends with the coconut milk. Add fish sauce, baby corn, carrots (or whatever root vegetables you are using).
Now add the chicken pieces and stir everything. When the curry begins to simmer, cancel saute. Close the lid and set the vent to sealing position.
Select Manual/Pressure, adjust the pressure to 'low', and set 3 minutes. Once the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes followed by manual pressure release. Open the lid once the pin drops.
Simmer & Serve
Turn on Saute mode. Stir in sugar and lime juice. Adjust seasoning at this point. If the curry looks too runny, simmer it for a few minutes on saute mode.
When happy with the consistency, add bell pepper and simmer for 1-2 minutes so the peppers stay crunchy. For softer peppers, simmer for 3-4 minutes. Cancel saute and finish with Thai basil and peanut butter, if using. Serve the curry warm with white, brown or cumin rice.Note: If adding other quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli or zucchini, add them along with peppers.
Coconut Milk: Use a good quality, full-fat, canned coconut milk. I use Chaokoh brand. Native Forest is another trusted brand.
Use Low Pressure: Coconut milk cooks well under LOW pressure and has a much lower chance of curdling, as compared to high pressure.
If Coconut Milk Curdles: If after opening the lid, the coconut milk seems curdled, don't worry, it hasn't gone bad. The heat and the pressure just separated the fat from the milk. You can turn on saute mode and whisk it gently back together. It'll be a smooth curry once again!
Curry Paste: I prefer using Maesri brand for Thai Panang Curry paste. It is a vegetarian paste since it doesn't have any shrimp paste. Other brands that work great in this recipe are Mae-ploy and Thai Kitchen.
Customize the Veggies: You can add any veggies of your choice including Yukon gold or sweet potatoes or any variety of peppers. Simply cut the root vegetables into 1-inch pieces for even cooking.
Get creative: Feel free to add water chestnuts or bamboo shoots at the end to amp up those Thai flavors.
Curry Consistency: This varies and depends on personal preference. Most restaurants serve a 'thin' Panang curry. To get a thicker curry, saute the curry for a few minutes after pressure cooking. It will thicken up as it cools too.
Other Proteins: You can make this curry with other proteins, like shrimp or tofu. Check out the variations section for their respective cooking times.
Make it Vegan: Turn it into a vegan panang curry by replacing the chicken with tofu and swap out the fish sauce for soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates and do not include rice. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.