Beef Panang Curry

Prepare the Curry Paste: Prepare roasted peanuts by dry roasting them in a pan. Then pound the roasted peanuts into the pre-made panang curry paste until the paste is smooth again. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can blend the peanuts in blender and then stir them into the paste.

Partially Cook the Beef: Add 1/4 cup of coconut milk to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced beef1 and allow to cook until it is halfway done. Remove and set aside2.

Separate the Coconut Milk: Scoop the top 1/3 cup of thicker coconut milk from the can into a large pan or wok. Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until it is very bubbly and you start to see an oily sheen appear.3

Fry the Curry Paste: Add the prepared panang curry paste and stir into the separated coconut milk. Continue to cook until the aroma of the curry is strong. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir continuously and watch carefully so that the curry paste doesn't burn.

Make the Curry Sauce: Add the remainder of the coconut milk and water to the curry paste. Remove the central vein from the makrut lime leaves, tear in half, and add to the curry sauce. Allow to cook until the curry is your desired thickness, adding more water if necessary.

Season the Curry: Taste and adjust the seasonings with fish sauce and sugar as needed.4 Then add the thinly sliced red peppers, if using.

Add the Beef: When the curry is just how you like it, add the partially-cooked beef back in. Cook for another minute or so until it is just done, then remove from the heat.

Garnish and Serve: Spoon the curry into a serving bowl. Garnish with a sprinkling of chiffonade-cut makrut lime leaves.5 Serve with warm jasmine rice.