In our household when I was growing up, phanaeng curry was always made with tough and sinewy cuts of beef or bone-in, skin-on chunks of chicken. We cooked it in a barely simmering curry-coconut milk mixture until the meat was tender and the liquid became a thick, glistening sauce. Topped with even more fresh coconut cream, the finished dish was so rich and intense that you'd only need two or three spoonfuls of it for a cup of rice.
This recipe is a quick and easy version that takes less than thirty minutes to prepare. It is not as thick and intense as the version I grew up with, but those who like their sauce thicker and more intense can strain out the liquid into another saucepan once the chicken is cooked through then reduce the liquid by half. SERVES 4 TO 6
½ cup coconut cream (the thick layer at the top of a can of coconut milk)
1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
¼ cup homemade red curry paste or 2 tablespoons store-bought
½ of a small kabocha or Buttercup squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes; 1½ to 2 pounds total
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut on the diagonal (30- to 40-degree angle) into thin- bite-size pieces
½ cup sodium-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed grated palm sugar, or 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 long red Thai chile, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
3 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and thinly sliced lengthwise
½ cup Thai sweet basil (or Mediterranean basil) leaves (optional, especially if kaffir lime leaves are used)
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the coconut cream, coconut oil, and curry paste over medium-high heat and stir until the paste is fragrant and the coconut fat separates, about 2 minutes.
Add the squash to the saucepan along with the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce; stir lightly to make sure every piece of squash is submerged. Turn the heat to high. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover the saucepan, and cook the squash until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. The squash should still hold its shape, yet is tender enough that you can pierce it easily with the tip of a paring knife.
Add the chicken to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Turn the heat up to medium-high; bring the curry back to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the chicken firms up and turns opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the red chile strips as well as the kaffir lime leaves and/or basil leaves. Serve with rice.
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