Prawn panang curry with green beans is a delicious, quick and easy spicy shrimp dish with Thai influences that cooks in under 20 minutes.
Panang curry has a zingier taste than other Thai curries and rocks shrimp paste, lots of coriander and cumin alongside the classic chilli, lemongrass, garlic and galangal flavours.
Thai Panang Curry with Shrimp
I love curry, there ain’t no hiding that and Thai curries are my go-to when I am pushed for time and yearn fo spicy complex flavours in a hurry.
If you couple that with shrimp or prawns you end up with a super quick dinner with big flavours in next to no time.
This delicious shrimp or prawn panang curry joins other favourites like my prawn massaman curry and Thai red prawn curry. Prawns also feature in another of my Thai favourite recipes, tom yum soup.
Just like all of the dishes mentioned above this dish is really easy and quick to cook, especially when you leverage store-bought curry paste.
Preparation will take you around 10 minutes and that includes defrosting the shrimp. Cooking will take another 10 minutes which bring this curry in at a blistering 20 minute cook.
Perfect for a midweek dinner, especially as many of the ingredients are shelf/freezer stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What brand of panang curry paste is best?
I always avoid labelling something as best, I have favourites, and my personal favourite right now is made by Mae Ploy.
Can I make a vegetarian version of this dish?
You can, but you need to swap out the fish sauce for a vegetarian version and also take care as to what curry paste you use.
Panang curry pastes often contain shrimp paste, Maesri is a solid option that does not list shrimp paste in the ingredients.
Do I have to use fish sauce?
No, but I would urge you to! Any substitute will significantly change the flavours of the dish and not in a good way.
Can I use precooked prawns?
Yes, but add them right at the very end of the cooking process. They only need warming through for a minute or two!
Can I add different vegetables?
Yes, everything from broccoli to sugar snap peas and mangetout works really well. Basically, anything that cooks in a few minutes and has a nice texture.
Serving Suggestions
Like many Thai curry recipes, I serve my shrimp or prawn panang curry with some simply cooked jasmine rice in these pictures.
I mainly do this because it cooks quickly and is ready at roughly the same time as the curry. It’s also really easy and low maintenance which means you can concentrate on the curry.
If you have planned a little better than I usually do for dinner then you could just as easily make some delicious coconut rice.
If you wanted some veggies then my stir-fried asparagus or even broccoli stir fry would be perfect.
You could also top this with some crispy fried onions, they are wonderful as a garnish for Thai curries.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Sieve or colander if you are defrosting the prawns.
- Kettle to boil water if you are using a stock cube.
Thai Prawn Panang Curry Recipe
Thai curries are often quick and easy to cook and this prawn or shrimp panang curry is no different, even when using frozen seafood this delicious easy recipe cooks in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 250g (9oz) Large Prawns (Defrosted if Frozen)
- 1 (35g) Shallot
- 50g (3 Tbsp) Panang Curry Paste
- 2 Red Thai Birds Eye Chilli Peppers
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Lime Leaves
- 1 Small Red Pepper
- 75g (½-⅔ Cup) Green Beans
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 125ml (½ Cup) Fish Stock
- 200g (7oz) Tin Coconut Milk
- 1-2 Lime
- 1-2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
Instructions
- If the prawns are frozen defrost them by placing them in a sieve and running them under cold water for 5 minutes.
- Cut the shallot in half, then peel it and cut it into half-moon shapes as thinly as you can.
- Cut the chilli peppers into rings as thinly as you can.
- Peel the garlic cloves then slice them as thinly as you can.
- Remove the stems form the lime leaves and then shred them as thinly as you can.
- Remove the stem and the seeds from the red pepper and cut it into a 2cm (¾") dice.
- Top and tail the green beans then cut them into 2cm (¾") lengths.
- Heat a wok over a high heat and when it is shimmering add the oil.
- Throw in the shallots, red pepper, chilli peppers and lime leaves and stir fry for 60 seconds.
- Add the sliced garlic and panang curry paste and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the prawns and stir fry until they begin to change colour, which will take a minute or two.
- Pour in the fish stock and coconut milk, and throw in the green beans then stir to form a sauce.
- Add the brown sugar, fish sauce and squeeze in the juice from the lime.
- Stir, have a taste and balance the sweet, salty and sour flavours to your taste, and then cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add lots of chopped coriander.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 608Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 265mgSodium: 3305mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 37g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.