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    Home > Recipes > Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry

    Published: Jan 22, 2020 · Modified: Mar 15, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 12 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    thai panang curry
    thai panang curry
    thai panang curry over rice in a white bowl
    cans of coconut milk, garbanzo beans, and a jar of red curry paste on a white table
    thai panang curry over rice in a white bowl
    stirring thai panang curry in the instant pot
    thai panang curry

    thai panang curry over rice on a white plate

    Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry is a fast vegetarian curry with chickpeas and sweet potatoes in a spicy, creamy coconut broth. Cook pot-in-pot rice at the same time for a one-pot meal that comes together in under 30 minutes. 

    If you’ve been following this blog for some time, you know that every February we feature an entire month of Thai food here on the site. #ThaiFoodMonth is our favorite way to celebrate the cuisine that we fell in love with when we lived in Bangkok. So I’m jumping ahead a bit by sharing one of my favorite Thai meals even though it’s still January. It’s just too easy to make this inexpensive, vegetarian meal in the Instant Pot. I couldn’t resist tacking it on to this week of meals that use the Ultimate Guide to 6-Minute Instant Pot Meals. 

    stirring thai panang curry in the instant pot

    With the exception of our absolute favorite Thai Food restaurant here in Kansas City (I’m looking at you Waldo Thai Place), Frank and I almost always prefer to make Thai food at home. We don’t often make dishes that require special ingredients or complicated cooking techniques. A basic curry, using store-bought curry paste, is about as easy as it gets and hits the sweet spot that many great Thai dishes do. This Instant Pot Panang Curry is:

    • Creamy
    • Spicy
    • Filling
    • Vegetarian (!)
    • Easy to Customize

    Here’s how to make this entire meal in the Instant Pot on 6 minutes high pressure.

    What is Panang Curry?

    Panang (sometimes spelled panaeng, phanaeng or phanang) Curry is a Thai curry with a creamy, coconut base. It is very similar to Thai red curry but has the addition of ground peanuts that make the curry sauce thicker, more mild, and a bit creamier. It is one of the most mild Thai curries since the peanuts mellow the spice and give it a natural sweetness.

    In this version of Panang Curry, I use peanut butter (instead of ground peanuts) stirred in at the end of cooking. It’s not totally authentic, but it’s easy, fast, and makes the dish taste very close to the Panang Curry I ate in Bangkok.

    Ingredients

    • Unsweetened Coconut Milk - Regular canned coconut milk (not light) will give the curry a rich, creamy base.
    • Red Curry Paste - Thai curry pastes are becoming so common that you can find them in the international aisle of most grocery stores. American brands like “Thai Kitchen” are typically less spicy than Thai brands that you might find at the international / Asian grocery store. See the recipe notes for tips on adjusting the curry paste to fit with your spice preference. (Note for vegetarians: Be sure to check the ingredients if you don’t eat fish. Many curry pastes are made with shrimp / shrimp paste, so you may need to seek out a vegetarian-friendly version.)
    • Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, and Lime Juice -These give the curry the balance of savory, sweet, and sour that is so iconic in Thai curries. Add the soy sauce and brown sugar at the beginning of cooking, but stir lime juice in after cooking to help it retain its fresh flavor.
    • Fresh Garlic and Ginger - These fresh aromatics build so much flavor in the curry. 
    • Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes - These are the protein / vegetable base of this curry. If you want to make a meat-based version, substitute 1 ½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (more on alternatives in this post).
    • Creamy Peanut Butter - To give the Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry its distinctive peanut flavor, stir peanut butter into the finished curry. It’s easy, fast, and uses an ingredient you probably already have in your pantry. I prefer unsweetened “natural” peanut butter, but see the recipe notes for tips on using other peanut butter.
    • Fish Sauce - If you are pescatarian or don’t adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, a little fish sauce stirred into the end of the curry makes this dish taste truly authentic. Once the fish sauce is stirred into the curry, it doesn’t taste particularly fishy, but has a rich, savory flavor. (Fish sauce is stinky, so just don’t smell it as you add it! You’ll love the flavor it gives your curry.)

    cans of chick peas, coconut milk and red curry paste on a white table

    adding panang curry ingredients to an instant pot

    How to Make Pot-in-Pot Rice

    Perhaps the best part about making Thai curry in the Instant Pot is that you can cook the rice at the same time, right inside the Instant Pot. This technique has been a total game-changer for me. Check out this post on the Pot-in-Pot Method for the Instant Pot for more details on this handy method.

    For Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry, just put rice and water in a bowl elevated above the curry. Use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. When the dish is done cooking, set the rice aside, covered so it will continue to steam slightly until you’re ready to serve. 

    thai panang curry over rice in a white bowl

    More Recipes that use Thai Red Curry Paste

    • Thai Crispy Rice -Thai Crispy Rice is deliciously addictive. Let the rice crisp on the bottom of the pan for this twist on fried rice that is full of crunchy texture and flavor.
    • Thai-Style Meatballs with Pork and Rice - Savory and with a hint of curry spice, Thai-Style Meatballs with Pork and Rice are pan seared to get crispy and golden on the outside and perfectly cooked inside.
    • Thai Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken - Warm, fragrant, and totally slurp-able. All wrapped up in a dinner package that takes less than 30 minutes.

    Favorite Tools

    • 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo - This is the Instant Pot / pressure cooker I use to test all meals on this site. It easily makes enough to serve the 5 members of our family (usually without leftovers). Though this recipe was not tested in the larger 8-Quart Instant Pot, it should work in that version. 
    • Instant Pot Rack - This 2.3-inch rack is just the right height to hold a bowl above the other ingredients to cook using pot-in-pot method described in this recipe.
    • Instant Pot Bowl (for pot-in-pot method) - I test all of my recipes using a 7-Cup Round Pyrex Dish. This will fit in the 6-Quart Instant Pot.
    Vegetarian Thai Panang Curry over rice in a white bowl
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry

    Instant Pot Panang Curry is a fast vegetarian meal with chickpeas and sweet potatoes in a spicy, creamy coconut and peanut broth. Use the pot-in-pot method to cook rice at the same time for a one-pot meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time4 mins
    Natural Release10 mins
    Total Time24 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Thai
    Keyword: easy Thai recipe, instant pot, Instant Pot curry, vegetarian meal
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 500kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $7.00

    Equipment

    • 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker
    • Pressure cooker-safe metal trivet and bowl

    Ingredients

    Panang Curry

    • 1 (14-oz) can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
    • 3 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
    • 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    • 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
    • 2 teaspoon grated Fresh Ginger
    • 2 14oz cans Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer Bush’s or Goya brand chickpeas)
    • 12 oz Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

    Pot-in-Pot Rice

    • 1 ½ cups Long Grain Rice (Basmati rice works really well with this method)
    • 1 ½ cups Water

    To Finish the Panang Curry

    • 1 ½ tablespoon Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (see note)
    • 2 teaspoon Fish Sauce (sub soy sauce for a vegetarian, non-fish version)
    • 2 teaspoon Lime Juice
    • ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts (optional)
    • Chopped Fresh Cilantro (optional)

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of the Instant Pot, combine all of the ingredients for Panang Curry - unsweetened coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes. (Note: If you don't want to add the pot-in-pot rice, skip ahead to Step #5.)
    • Top the curry with a 2” rack then with a 7-cup glass bowl. (Be sure that both the rack and bowl are approved for use in the Instant Pot.)
    • Rinse the rice well.
    • Fill the bowl with rice and 1 ½ cups water.
    • Close and lock the lid.
    • Set the steam valve to Sealing.
    • Cook on manual / high pressure for 6 minutes.
    • When done cooking, leave the machine on Warming (most machines automatically revert to this after cooking). Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. (Tip: I like to set a kitchen timer so that I don’t get distracted and forget.)
    • Manually release any remaining pressure.
    • Carefully remove the bowl of rice and rack and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
    • To the curry, stir in peanut butter, fish sauce, and lime juice. (Note: Stir gently - the sweet potatoes will be very tender.)
    • Taste sauce. If you’d like it to be spicier, stir in some more curry paste or some hot sauce.
    • Serve curry over rice. Top with roasted peanuts and cilantro.

    Notes

    Optional Pot-in-Pot Rice - Feel free to skip the pot-in-pot rice here. Just skip over the steps to add the trivet, bowl, and rice. Follow all other directions (including cook time) as written.
    Curry Paste - American brands of curry paste like “Thai Kitchen” are typically less spicy than Thai brands that you might find at the international / Asian grocery store. I find that 3 tablespoon of Thai Kitchen brand curry paste is hardly spicy, and 3 tablespoon of a Thai brand is about right for me, but I have a pretty good tolerance for spice. Feel free to adjust this amount. You can start always start with 1-2 tablespoon and stir more in, to taste, after cooking. 
    Peanut Butter - I prefer unsweetened “natural” peanut butter for this, but you can use a sweetened brand for this as well. Start with about 1 tablespoon of the sweetened variety and add more to taste after the dish is done cooking. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 9225IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

    *This post contains affiliate links*

     

    Related

    « Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken
    Instant Pot Honey Adobo Chicken »

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joy

      January 22, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      This recipe looks incredibly delicious! I really want to make this soon.

      Reply
    2. Melody

      February 03, 2020 at 11:54 pm

      5 stars
      My husband and I loved this recipe! I made it in an 8qt electric pressure cooker and it came out great. Can’t wait to make it again. It’s our new fave recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.

      Reply
      • Jess

        February 04, 2020 at 6:44 am

        Yay! Thanks so much for the feedback. And I’m thrilled to hear it worked in the 8 quart - I always assume things translate easily from the 6 to 8 quart but it’s good to know for sure!

        Reply
    3. Som Brusberg

      February 16, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Sorry I didn’t see how panang curry look like this curry that use you can find in Asian markets call panang curry not the red curry all the herb that ingredients was different , if you put peanut in they will call massaman curry, panang curry we ‘ not put peanuts completely taste every curry had different herbs and ingredients, more likely look good to Americans take the taste I sure different.

      Reply
      • Jess

        February 24, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Hi Som. Thanks so much for your note. Panang curry is very similar to red curry but uses chopped, roasted peanuts in the curry paste. In this weeknight-friendly version, we actually added peanut butter to the curry itself. As I mention in the recipe, this is definitely not traditional, but gives the curry a pretty authentic flavor. The peanuts on top of this version of Panang are just for fun and added crunch. Massaman curry is quite different from Panang and Red curry, and includes a variety of dried spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. We've got a guide for Thai Curries coming out on the blog this week. We LOVE Thai curries!

        Reply
    4. Sarah

      April 14, 2020 at 2:10 pm

      Hi this recipe looks really interesting and I can’t wait to try it. I just have one question. If I don’t want to cook a bowl of rice at the same time, how long would I need to set the instant pot to cook the rest of the ingredients?

      Reply
      • Jess

        April 14, 2020 at 6:43 pm

        Hi Sarah. That's a great question! I'll go back in and add a note about this, but you do not need to change the timing on the recipe at all if you want to skip the rice. The recipe works as written even without the pot-in-pot steps.

        Reply
    5. CarolB

      June 28, 2020 at 6:57 am

      5 stars
      Just made this the other night and it was so delicious we struggled to have it be enough for 4 servings. Made it in a 6 quart stove top pressure cooker(PC) with Pot-in-Pot Rice method. Subbed a lb. of cubed butternut squash p/o sweet potatoes and made my own peanut butter by putting oven roasted peanuts in food processor for a few minutes. The recipe turned out great. A definite keeper! I've been making rice in a PC in a stainless steel container with cover over a trivet but had never considered cooking it at the same time with other foods. What a game changer!

      Reply
      • Jess

        June 29, 2020 at 11:43 am

        I love the idea to use butternut squash in this! We'll have to give that a try next time. Thanks so much for your note.

        Reply
    6. Rupert

      July 06, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      I really enjoyed this recipe! It was quick to prep and cook. I made brown rice separately, which goes really well! 1 halved the recipe as I only have a 3 quart instapot. It made 2 nice portioned servings. Thank you for posting such a good recipe!

      Reply
    7. Melody

      January 01, 2021 at 10:53 pm

      Hi Jess. Love this recipe. It has become a real favorite in our home. My mum wants to try it but she doesn’t have an electric pressure cooker (and won’t let me buy her one). How long do you think this would need to cook on the stovetop at a simmer? Thank you and keep up the good work!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        January 04, 2021 at 9:17 am

        Hi Melody - thanks so much for the note! I've made this on the stovetop a few times when I didn't have (or just didn't want to get out) my IP. Just cover and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.

        Reply

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