Penang Curry is a Thai red curry made with peanuts. You can use regular Thai Red Curry paste as per the instructions below, or buy Pengang curry paste. When cooked properly, eggplant will be soft and luscious in a curry, and absorb all the flavors. To avoid undercooked eggplant, this recipe pre-bakes it before adding to the curry.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 (or heat your grill to medium). Cut 1 large or 2 medium eggplants in one-inch thick slices. Brush the slices with a mixture of oil and salt or soy sauce on both sides and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (or directly on the grill). Bake until they are just fork-tender. You don’t them to finish cooking in the curry sauce.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Thinly slice yellow onions to make 1 C. Fry in a wok with 1 T. Red Curry paste and a little of the thick cream from the coconut milk you’re going to use. When the onions are soft and nicely coated, add 2 full cans of Thai Coconut milk (not low fat!). Keeping at a simmer, drizzle in 3 T. creamy peanut butter and stir until it dissolves. Season with 2 T. Thai fish sauce or vegan “fish” sauce. If you don’t have either you can use soy sauce or salt but it will change the flavor.
Trim 1/2 lb. of Green Beans and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to the curry and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cut the eggplant slices into cubes and add to the curry.
Core 3-4 gypsy peppers and slice thinly. Add to the curry.
Taste the curry and add more curry paste or fish sauce (or alternatives) to taste.
When the green beans are tender but still slightly crisp, turn off the heat.
Add 1 C. fresh cilantro or basil leaves.