Penang curry paste

Name: Penang curry paste
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 0
Ingredients: 7 dry red chillies, rehydrated, deseeded; ½ cup coriander root; ½ cup chopped galangal; ½ cup chopped lemongrass; 1 cup chopped garlic; 1 cup chopped red onion; ⅓ cup peanuts, boiled; 1 tsp cumin, roasted, blended; 2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted, blended; 1 tsp sea salt

Named after the Malaysian state, this distinctly flavoured curry is from Thailand’s central and southern regions. A chicken Panang curry is documented as being served at the celebration feast for when the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Royal Temple in the Grand Palace, was consecrated in 1809. The feast was a huge celebration attended by 2000 Buddhist monks. Head chef and owner of Sugarcane Restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills Milan Strbac shares his recipe below.

prep
15 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy

preparation

15

minutes

cooking

5

minutes

difficulty

Easy

level

Ingredients

For the paste

7 dry red chillies, rehydrated, deseeded
½ cup coriander root
½ cup chopped galangal
½ cup chopped lemongrass
1 cup chopped garlic
1 cup chopped red onion
⅓ cup peanuts, boiled

For the spice mix

1 tsp cumin, roasted, blended
2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted, blended
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle, pound all the paste ingredients until a smooth paste forms.

In a frying pan, lightly roast the cumin, coriander and sea salt until fragrant. Transfer to the jug of a blender. Process and combine this into the paste mixture.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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