Panang Chicken Curry with Winter Melon

Panang Chicken Curry with Winter Melon is something I, a white guy, came up with when one of my wife's Thai friends brought us a winter melon.  It is a beautiful melon, and I think I may have had it before but can't remember exactly when.  I love nothing more than finding a new food though and after 10 years with my wife they are still showing up on our counter.  I asked my wife what to do with it, and she said she doesn't care for it much so it sat there on the counter looking pretty.

Panang Chicken Curry with Winter Melon

After Googling several recipes for the melon, I combined a few of my favorite with my own favorite elements and came up with this.  I chose the ingredients for their contrasting bright colors and also because I love the flavors.  The ingredients mix well in curries I have had before.  The melon in a curry was counterintuitive to me but it has been done for ages in Thailand, so I went with it.  It wasn't a disappointment although I recommend cooking it until it is very soft and has soaked up the curry flavors to replace the sort of bitterness I thought I was tasting at the beginning.

I garnished Panang curry with avocados and cilantro which I have had with Thai curries before.  The winter melon reminds me of a squash in its consistency when cooked enough, and it gives it a sort of hearty texture and feels which is welcome when you are really hungry.  It actually put me in a food coma for about 30 minutes after I ate it.  I was so lazy, and I just laid on the couch unable to move before finally getting up and hitting the pool for my workout for the night.

Adaptations

Using lite coconut milk reduces some of the bad fats and calories.  You can also use more water if you chose but it will dilute the richness.  Using a bit more fluid or either way gives you more of the delicious and coveted sauce to keep everyone happy.  I'd be the saucier if I were a chef because I always get all the sauce out of a dish and piss everyone off.  🙂   Adding a bit more fluid helps with that, and it didn't seem to take away too much flavor with this recipe.

About Winter Melon

Winter melon or, Wax Gourd is grown throughout Southeast Asia and has a mild sweet flavor.  This gourd is super low in calories but gives a lot of volume and texture to the soups it is commonly used in.  The winter melon is rich in vitamins like vitamin C and B2.  It packs 3.5 grams of fiber which is, of course, good for your pooper and very little carbohydrates.  All this combined is good news for anyone trying to keep their calorie count lower.

Winter Melon Cut in Half

Ingredients:

Winter Melon cut into cubes

• 2 heaping tablespoon Panang curry paste
• 1 winter melon cut into small cubes
• ½ -1 pound shredded or cubed chicken, or your protein of choice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 chopped bell peppers or 5 chopped sweet peppers of various bright colors
• ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
• 2 tablespoons lite coconut milk
• 1 avocado cut into wedges for garnish
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon stevia* optional

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil on medium high in a medium wok or pot.
2. Stir fry the Panang curry paste until aromatic.
3. Add 1 cup coconut milk then add the chicken or meat, winter melon, and peppers and continue cooking
4. Pour another cup of coconut milk and ½ cup of water and cook until boiling
5. Add 1 teaspoon stevia
6. Taste and add more curry paste for more spice or more coconut milk for less spice.
7. Cook longer if needed to soften the winter melon.
8. Garnish with the cilantro and avocado.

Below is a printable version of this recipe.  Enjoy and by all means, please rate this recipe so it ranks on Google. 😉

As always, we adapt our recipes to be as healthy as we can make them.  In a condition of any special considerations please consult with your healthcare professional before taking any risks as your situation is fact dependent.  If you have ideas to make our recipes healthier without sacrificing too much in taste we'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section below.

If you love Panang, here are some other recipes you might dig!

Thai Panang Basil Chicken Pizza on a Whole Wheat Crust

Easy Panang Curry Beef (พะแนงเนื้อ)

Panang Curry Salmon, Get your omega fatty acids with the full flavors of Thailand

Healthy Fusion Panang Curry (ผัดแพนงแบบไม่ใส่กะทิ)

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