A restaurant-worthy Thai Salmon Panang Curry in under 30 minutes.
Curry once was something I loved but only saved for dinners out because I didn't know how to make it at home. I kept on trying but the results were lackluster at best. That was all, at least, until I discovered this Thai Salmon Panang Curry.
Then, Chris and I went to a Thai cooking class at Mama Thai in San Francisco a few years ago and my whole Thai cooking game completely changed. She broke it down in a way that I understood for once: flavors of sweet, sour, and savory need to come together over high heat and short cooking times. A homemade curry paste is best because of the complexity achieved through working the spices with a mortar and pestle, but a premade store-bought one can also stand if need be.
We made our own paste in class and though I had high hopes of making it at home, the heavy mortar and pestle weren't exactly friendly to an upcoming cross-country move. Also, the amount of elbow grease needed to get that authentic flavor was a bit of a turn off even to me so I broke down and brought my curry paste online.
The curry paste did not disappoint, thankfully. I now had my own go-to Thai curry for my repertoire. The vegetable ingredients are pretty flexible, but below is a selection of my favorite vegetables.
With few veggies and only 5 simple ingredients (including the curry paste) for the sauce, this number comes together in less than 30 minutes. Now I not only don't have to leave the house for a Thai curry, but I can have it on the table by the time I'd get dressed and to a restaurant. Talk about a cooking class well worth it.
Thai Salmon Panang Curry Cooking Notes:
- If serving this with rice: make sure to get that started enough ahead of time to have it ready by the time the curry is. Most long-grain white rice is done in under 25-30 minutes, but if cooking brown rice, you'll want to check how far ahead you need to start the rice.
- Curry paste: Mae Ploy curry paste is MY JAM. This paste is available on Amazon and at some specialty stores.
- Prep: cooking will go fast once you start so make sure to prep all your veggies before you start cooking. Nothing like getting caught off guard in a recipe without the next ingredients ready (ask me how I know!).
- Fish Sauce: Red Boat Fish Sauce is my fave, but I've also had a good experience with Thai Kitchen's fish sauce.
What tools do you need to make this Salmon Panang Curry?
- Large non-stick saute pan or stainless steel saute pan
- Thai Panang Curry Paste
- Wooden Stir-Fry or Saute Paddle
More quick dinner recipes:
- Thai Green Chicken Curry
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Spicy-Sweet Salmon with Mango Salsa
- Sweet Potato Hash Brown Burgers
- Juicy Chicken Sausage Meatballs
- Spicy Bourbon Glazed Baked Salmon
Questions or comments about this recipe? Post in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Recipe generously adapted from Mama Thai Cooking Club in San Francisco.
Thai Salmon Panang Curry
A quick and satisfying Thai panang curry. Cut up all your veggies and salmon ahead of time because the cooking goes quick!
Ingredients
Veggies:
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil; unrefined if possible
- 4 green onions, light and darker green parts sliced thinly
- 1 sweet pepper -- yellow, orange, or red, sliced into ⅛ inch slices
- 4 medium-large carrots, sliced into ⅛ inch coins
- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into about 1 ½ inch florets
Curry Sauce & Salmon:
- 1 tablespoon panang curry paste
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 ½ tablespoon agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 lb de-skinned salmon filets, cut into ¾ inch cubes
Rice
- 3 cups hot jasmine or other long grain rice
Instructions
- Preheat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add coconut oil and let heat up until it sputters when flicked with water.
- Add green onions-broccoli florets and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until broccoli starts to turn bright green.
- Add in curry paste and saute in for 1-2 minutes -- stirring constantly-- or until paste is broken up and evenly distributed among the veggies.
- Add in coconut milk, agave syrup, fish sauce, and lime juice and give the mixture a few good stirs until the paste seems to be distributed throughout the milk. Gently layer in the salmon among the veggies, getting the salmon to rest in the coconut milk as much as possible. Cover the pot, bring milk to a simmer and then cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring gently only 1 or 2x or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve curry immediately over hot rice.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 584Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 58mgSodium 414mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 5gSugar 9gProtein 27g
This nutrition breakdown is an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Thank you for your recipe reviews and feedback. They help us know how to better create recipes for you and help other Mae's Menu readers decide which recipes they'd like to make.
April says
Hello Mae, how would you rate the level of heat for this recipe? Love my Thai but not too hot.
Mae's Menu says
Hi, April! It does depend on what curry paste you use, but Panang is typically not too spicy. I'd say that this recipe, made with the directed about of Mae Ploy curry paste, is around a mild to moderate spice level.
Best,
Chelsea