Vegan Panang Curry with Tofu & Vegetables

This authentic Vegan Panang Curry with Tofu and Vegetables is rich and creamy with a balance of sweet and spicy flavors, and so easy to make in under 30 minutes. This vegetarian and gluten-free Thai curry served with jasmine rice is a hit with the whole family.

I had never eaten Thai food growing up in India. But when I came to the US, the closest food that I could find to the Indian food taste was Thai food.  Thai curries became my favorite instantly - panany curry,  red curry or green curry with perfect jasmine rice.  

After some years of eating Thai food only in restaurants, I discovered how quick and easy they were to make at home.  It is basically a quick one-pot meal.  

My version of Thai Panang Curry is vegetarian. It is healthy, as it is loaded with veggies & tofu.

You guys...this is a satisfying, easy weeknight meal. And the best part it takes less than 30 minutes to make this curry and have an exotic meal at home.

What is Panang Curry?

Panang Curry (also spelled Phanaeng) is a rich, creamy curry, that has both sweet and spicy flavors, with the addition of peanuts and coconut milk. This curry has wonderful, bold flavors that tickle your taste buds.

Panang curry comes from Thailand, from the island of Penang. This is one of the popular curries similar to red curry.

Typically Panang curry is made with meat - pork, beef or chicken - cooked with the Panang paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves, and basil leaves.

However here I am sharing a vegan version made with firm tofu and lots of colorful vegetables. Use a vegan curry paste, along with soy sauce (Tamari for gluten-free).

Panang Curry Paste

I used the below Maesri paste from the asian market. You can also order it on Amazon. I find this one to have the wonderful authentic flavors you get at Thai restaurants. 

This paste is vegan and gluten-free. Most of the other Thai curry paste contain shrimp. So if you are a vegetarian, I suggest to always check the ingredients. Another vegetarian option is Aroy-D brand curry paste.

To amp up the flavor even more when using store bought curry paste, you can sauté some ginger and garlic in oil along with the paste.

Of course, if you like, you can make curry paste at home too. It has lots of wonderful ingredients such as red chili peppers, galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, shallots, coriander, garlic, peanuts, and more.

Ingredients

This recipe has basic ingredients that you will need for most Thai curries. I would suggest to make a trip to the asian grocery store in your area to them.

Panang Curry Paste

Coconut Milk: Use a brand with thick coconut milk such as Chakoh.

Peanut Butter: Use a smooth peanut butter in this recipe. It gives the perfect peanut taste to the curry. I added 1 tablespoon, but peanut lovers feel free to increase to 2 tablespoons.

Brown Sugar: This helps to balance the flavors of this spicy curry.

Soy Sauce or Tamari: This is a replacement for the fish sauce that the authentic recipe calls. Use Tamari to keep the recipe gluten-free.

Kaffir Lime Leaves: These can be hard to find sometimes. I could not find them at the asian store too, so I ordered dried lime leaves from Amazon. If you ever find fresh leaves, get them and freeze (they retain the flavor even if they turn darker in color).

Crush the leaves a little to release their juices. These leaves have a hard membrane, so you can remove them after cooking or eat around them.

If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, use extra lime zest and juice.

Thai Basil Leaves: I love to garnish with curry with lots of Thai Basil Leaves. If you don't have them, use regular basil leaves or cilantro.

Tofu: Use extra firm tofu in this curry. Press the tofu to remove any extra water, then dab with a paper towel and cut into pieces. You can use the tofu as is or lightly saute, bake or air fry it.

Bell Pepper: I love to add colorful bell peppers to this curry. They make it look so pretty.

Broccoli, Zucchini or other quick cooking veggies: You can add any quick cooking veggies of choice to this curry. I added broccoli and zucchini. Some other options are - mushrooms, green beans, baby corn, snap peas. If you add carrots, cook them a little before adding other veggies.

Lime: A little lime juice at the end really does wonders to the complex flavors in this curry.

How to make?

• Press the tofu to remove excess water. Cut it into pieces and keep aside. If you prefer, you can bake or air fryer it. 
• Heat a large pot in sauté mode. Add oil and then add the panang curry paste. Mix well. 
• Add ½ can of coconut milk. Stir well, so that the paste should be completely mixed with the coconut milk. Then add the remaining coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and stir well. 

• Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, broccoli, zucchini and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a complete boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender. 
• Add the tofu pieces, and half of the Thai Basil leaves and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add lime juice. Taste and add salt if needed. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves, and crushed peanuts. Panang Curry is ready to be enjoyed over jasmine rice.

Serve this delicious panang curry with jasmine rice. I like to make jasmine rice in the instant pot.

Can I make Panang Curry in the Instant Pot?

You can make this Panang Curry in the instant pot too. I recommend to only use the sauté setting in the instant pot and do not pressure cook this curry.

Pro-Tips

Spicy? Start with lesser panang curry paste, 2-3 tablespoons and add more based on your spice preference.

Rice: While you are cooking the curry, don't forget to first also put the jasmine rice to cook. You can also serve thai tofu curry with quinoa or brown rice.

Basil: Garnish with lots of Thai Basil Leaves.

Consistency: This curry gets thicker as it cools. Add ½ to 1 cup water or broth to get a thinner consistency.

Common Questions

Check out other Thai recipes you will love:

• Vegan Thai Green Curry
• Panang Curry with Chicken
• Thai Pumpkin Red Curry
• Garlic Noodles
• Coconut Rice