Panang curry paste
A Thai curry paste built on red chiles, aromatics, and roasted peanuts, milder and nuttier than red curry paste; the base for panang curry, usually cooked briefly in fat or the thick part of coconut milk before more liquid goes in. That short cooking step -- blooming -- dissolves the paste's aromatic compounds and rounds out its raw, sharp edge.
Buying guidance
Check the ingredient list for shrimp paste or fish sauce if avoiding shellfish -- most traditional curry pastes contain one or both. Jars and cans vary in heat and saltiness between brands, so taste a small cooked amount before committing to the full quantity called for.
Substitutions
- Red curry paste plus a spoonful of peanut butter -- approximates panang's milder, nuttier character.
- Massaman curry paste -- sweeter and warmer-spiced, a different but related flavor.
- Plain red curry paste -- brighter and usually hotter, missing the nutty depth.
Tips & common mistakes
Curry pastes vary more in saltiness and heat between brands than most bottled sauces do, since there's no standardized recipe -- taste a small cooked amount before committing to the full quantity a recipe calls for.
Storage
Once opened, refrigerate it tightly sealed; a thin layer of oil rising to the surface is normal and can be stirred back in. It also freezes well in small portions, like an ice cube tray, so a spoonful can be thawed at a time without opening a fresh jar.