Thai Panang Chicken Curry
40 min
Rich, creamy Thai curry that's become our go-to weeknight dinner. The coconut milk makes it silky smooth.
asianchickenspicy
Hot and sour soup done right — warming, a little spicy, and packed with chicken and vegetables. Perfect for a rainy evening when you want something proper.
Instructions
- 1
Put the dried shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl, pour boiling water over them and let them soak for about 20 minutes.
- 2
Cut the chicken fillets into large pieces.
- 3
Rinse the soaked mushrooms under cold water and squeeze out the excess liquid, then slice them into thin strips.
- 4
Cut the carrot and bamboo shoots into thin strips — a mandoline works great here. Add the vegetables to a pot with the chicken stock along with the shiitake mushrooms and the raw chicken. Bring to a boil, then let it cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15–20 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the dark soy sauce, chinkiang vinegar, chicken stock concentrate, sugar, salt and chili powder. Let it cook for another couple of minutes.
- 6
Put the potato starch and water in a jar with a lid and shake well. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the thickener. Don't let the soup boil again after adding it.
- 7
Whisk the egg whites in a small bowl, then pour the mixture slowly into the soup without stirring. After 30 seconds, gently fold through the soup with a ladle.
- 8
Lift the chicken pieces onto a board and shred them into thin strips using two forks. Add the chicken back into the soup.
Per average serving
440
Calories
kcal
56.7
Protein
g
40.2
Carbs
g
6.3
Fat
g
5g
Fiber
7.2g
Sugar
1405mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
440
Calories
kcal
56.7
Protein
g
40.2
Carbs
g
6.3
Fat
g
5g
Fiber
7.2g
Sugar
1405mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- The shiitake soaking liquid is full of flavour, but don't use it in the soup. It can be gritty and bitter. Just discard it and use the chicken stock as written.
- Shake the potato starch and water together right before you need it. It settles fast. If you mix it five minutes ahead and forget about it, you'll pour in a lump of starch with water on top.
- Take the pot off the heat before adding the starch mixture. If the soup is still boiling when you stir it in, you get uneven clumps. Off the heat, stir, then serve.
- Pour the egg whites in a slow, thin stream while the soup is hot but not boiling. The idea is to get those wispy strands, not scrambled egg. Give it the full 30 seconds before you touch it with the ladle.
- The chicken will shred much more easily while it's still warm. Don't let it sit and cool on the board or it starts to firm up.
Ways to vary it
- Tofu works well here if you want to skip the chicken. Use firm tofu, cut into strips, and add it in step 5 instead of cooking it from raw. It won't need 20 minutes in the pot.
- If you can't find chinkiang vinegar, rice wine vinegar is the closest swap. It's a bit lighter and less complex, but it still gives you that sour note the soup needs.
- A handful of thinly sliced spring onions stirred in at the end adds a bit of freshness and colour if you like that sort of thing.
Storage & leftovers
Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. The starch thickening breaks down a bit over time, so the soup will be slightly thinner when you reheat it. Warm it gently on the stove over medium-low heat, don't let it boil hard or the egg whites turn rubbery. Freezing isn't ideal because of the starch and egg, but it's doable if you're not fussy about texture.
What to serve with it
Steamed jasmine rice on the side turns this into a fuller meal. Plain rice crackers work too if you want something to crunch on between spoonfuls.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 14 July 2026
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