Prawn Panang Curry

Thai food is one of my favourite types of food. One of my best school friends was from Thailand and we lived together after college for 3 years. She didn't cook that much, but we ate out quite a bit at the local thai restaurant and a few times I was lucky enough to taste her Dad's cooking which was amazing. She moved back to Thailand the same year I went traveling around the world and so I stopped to visit her on my way back home and everything I ate was incredible! 

It was in Thailand that I first tried Panang curry and it quickly because my favourite curry. Its not as saucy as the other thai currys and its a more concentrated rich flavour. We're quite spoiled for Thai takeaway here with the likes of Camile and Diep but the curry's are so laden with coconut milk and served in such large quantities, they are lethal in SmartPoints. So when I do not treat myself to a takeaway I stick to the Camile 6 under 600 calories. I have missed my Panang Curry though, so I decided to try and do a Weight Watchers friendly version.

For this recipe I used the Tesco light coconut milk which works out at 6 SmartPoints for half a can - check any other brands before using as you may need to adjust the SmartPoints. For the curry paste I used a brand called Thai Gold which I got in Dunnes Stores. I haven't seen the Panang Paste anywhere else except there and in asian food shops, but its worth hunting it down. 

Servings: 2

SmartPoints per serving: 7

SmartPoints on No Count: 7

Ingredients:

165g Raw Peeled Prawns

50g Panang Curry Paste

200ml Light Coconut Milk (tesco brand)

1 tsp Soft Brown Sugar (or palm sugar if you can get it)

1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce

1/2 tbsp Lime Juice

1 tsp crunchy peanut butter or chopped peanuts

1 small red pepper

50g green beans

1 tbsp chopped coriander plus extra to serve

sliced red chilli to serve (optional)

Heat a wok over a medium heat and fry the curry paste for a 4-5 minutes to release the aromas. Stir regularly. Slowly stir in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, peanut butter and sugar. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.

Mix in the green beans & peppers and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the prawns are cooked through. Stir through the chopped coriander. 

Serve with 50g boiled rice for an extra 5 SmartPoints per person or with some cauliflower rice, and top with a few coriander leaves and some finely sliced chilli