Recipes

Panang Eggplant Curry

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 1 hour

| Cook Time: 30 mins

| Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins

You may need: Thai Curry

Discover The Recipe

Southeast Asian curry differs slightly from the better known South Asian curry dishes. Fresh tropical aromatics like lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and galangal root are typically paired with bright herbs and fiery chilis, balanced by silky coconut milk or savory broths. Our Panang Eggplant Curry recipe combines tender, sliced eggplant with a rich, velvety peanut curry sauce. Creamy coconut milk is imbued with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar and pairs beautifully with the eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Add the optional (and traditional) red birdseye chili pepper for a tongue-tingling heat. Serve over fragrant Jasmine rice for a delightful meal that has all the complex layers of flavor that true Thai cuisine offers.

Our Panang Eggplant Curry recipe is delicately spiced with a proprietary Thai Curry blend. This blend brings authentic Thai flavor from fresh-dried ground Thai aromatics without all the hassle of finding the fresh ingredients, which are often impossible to locate in most North American supermarkets. We suggest the addition of a bit more turmeric or, you can use our Turmeric Gold spice, which can be purchased on our website and was created to provide the subtle earthy notes of turmeric, complemented by the warming spices nutmeg and cinnamon. Find other Thai curry recipes on our website.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp peanut oil (or canola, grapeseed, or vegetable oil)
1/2 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
12 brown button mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1” ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp Piquant Post Thai Curry
1 tsp Piquant Post Turmeric Gold or turmeric powder (optional)
1 cup vegetable stock, divided
1 (15 oz) can coconut milk
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: cilantro, 2-3 birdseye chilis, seeded and sliced (optional - birdseye chilis are traditional in Thai cuisine, but very spicy)
To serve: Cooked Jasmine rice

Notes

If you have avoided eggplant in the past because of the bitterness, then don’t skip the step where you sweat the eggplant! It can make a difference in reducing any bitterness of the finished dish.

A lower fat alternative to peanut butter in this recipe is peanut butter powder. Use low-fat coconut milk if you’d like to make an even healthier version.

Instructions

First an optional step: we prepare the eggplant to reduce bitterness, called “sweating”. Place the cubed eggplant onto a sheet pan lined in paper towels and salt generously on both sides. Allow the eggplant to rest on the sheet pan for 1 hour. Gently press the eggplant with paper towels to absorb the liquid that is released by the eggplant. Rinse the eggplant in a colander to remove the salt. While the eggplant is sweating, cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions..

Heat the oil in a medium stock pot and add the onion, bell pepper and chopped mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 mins until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and eggplant. Cook for 5-7 mins or until the eggplant is browned.

Add the tomato paste, peanut butter, Piquant Post Thai Curry, and Piquant Post Turmeric Gold (or regular turmeric powder). Stir well and cook for about 2 mins or until the tomato paste starts to brown. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with ⅓ cup of vegetable stock, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot well.

Add the remaining vegetable stock, coconut milk, soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 mins. Season to taste with fresh lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve with Jasmine rice, and garnish with cilantro and chilis (optional).

Alternatives & Substitutions

For more protein-rich option, try adding cubed protein to this recipe. Or skip the eggplant and make a Red Curry with Tofu recipe, or our tasty Turmeric Ginger Beef Fried Rice recipe.
We have even more Thai Curry recipes for all tastes. Try our Creamy Thai Curried Cauliflower, Thai Coconut Seafood Curry, classic Thai Green Curry, or Thai Pork Curry, or our Cauliflower Turmeric Soup recipes!
Panang Curry can also be made with seafood or chicken! And if you love this flavor, be sure to try our tasty Thai Curry Stuffed Acorn Squash.
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