SP Herb Panang Curry Paste product reviews

One thing I love is a good curry but I'm also a fairly lazy cook so don't usually make one, opting to buy takeout instead. For my partner and I, this is a game changer!

I found the instructions easy to follow and I only needed minimal additional ingredients were great, it was all stuff that I usually have in the pantry. We decided to make the curry using diced chicken cooked it up in a frying pan as suggested. The only frustrating thing I found was getting the paste out of the plastic packaging and feeling like I was leaving quite a bit behind. Once it was heating in the pan, the house was full of an amazingly enticing aroma! It was super easy to cook and we kept it simple and served it over rice. We both found that it had a nice kick to it, not too mild, not too strong.

We have since gone on to buy the mixed box that contains 4 packs of each of the three curries plus we've bought the pad thai to try also. The individual price was already great I thought and it's even cheaper buying the mixed box. We've since made the Panang curry again and did find that for a stronger kick, heat the paste for a bit longer before adding the chicken.

We're really looking forward to trying the rest. This will remain a staple in our house now. I have to give this 10's all around!

Being lovers of curry, and liking to try new things - I requested the Panang Curry Paste to try, and was delighted to find it in our KIWIreviews box. My husband likes to experiment with spice and enjoys making his own curry paste but having a ready made one on hand is a way easier way to do it! We also love packets that store easily in our cupboard - as there is not usually a whole lot of space for jars of curry sauce.

Looking at the packaging - I was pleased to note that the outer was a thin card or thick paper, rather than all plastic. There are a few different varieties of these but each is quite distinguishable with great photos and a different colour stripe that at a quick glance, you can tell which is which. Picking up the packet, I could not find an ingredients list on the front, so checked the back but it was also not there. It was not until I read the instructions I figured out what was needed, but still had to guess at the actual amounts, basing it on what I have used in other recipes. The paper sleeve itself was easy to tear open as was the plastic sleeve inside - always a good thing!!

Moving ahead to making the curry, we decided rather than seafood that we think we depicted, we would do a beef curry. Chopping it up we followed all the instructions (as we understood them), tasting it to check when we thought it was ready. When we thought it tasted right, we took it off and served it over rice, and garnished as per the picture on the front, as it really appealed!

The curry paste has a reasonable amount of chilli in it according to the ingredients at a little under 20 %. Having tried a different flavour - I had a feeling that this might mean it was not super strong, but still full of flavour. The flavour was really nice and definitely would have been too hot for the kids, but for hubby it was pretty mild. I did not notice a lot of the other flavours - like the lemongrass or the fish sauce, but I feel that is good - it is a well blended paste. True to what it says - we were able to get three servings out of the packet, but not very large servings, and vegetables would definitely help it go further.

Would I purchase this again - yes - as the flavour is good, and so is the price - but would love to see a few changes!

I love a nice curry take away, but haven't made many curry meals at home, more because I don't really know where to start. There are so many curry pastes and curry sauces on the shelves at the supermarket and for someone who doesn't really know what they are doing it can all be a bit daunting! I was excited to see a packet of this Panang curry paste in my latest review parcel as I had planned to make a curry in the slow cooker later that week.

The packet didn't specify whether it could be used in the slow cooker or not but did have directions for cooking it on the stove top. The directions seem to be reasonably simple and I would love to purchase another pack of this curry paste to try it this way in the future. I decided that surely it would be ok to use in a slow cooker, so continued with the slow cooker version. I tipped a tin of coconut cream into the slow cooker and mixed this paste into it. I then placed 700g of gravy beef and switched the slow cooker on to low and left it cooking while I was at work for the day.

Upon returning home our house will filled with the most amazing curry smell. It did smell a touch on the spicy side so before serving I decided to give it a wee taste test. I was right, for me the level of spice was just a little too much. But easily fixed, I simply tipped another tin of coconut cream into the slow cooker and turned it up to high for half an hour. While I allowed it to heat through I cooked up some rice to serve with it. Once it had heated through and the sauce had thickened slightly I served up our dinner. Both my husband and I absolutely loved the curry. The paste was perfect to use in the slow cooker, and I would definitely buy it again. I loved that I could alter the spice with a little bit of extra coconut cream as it makes the paste suitable for those of us who like a slightly milder taste too.

This product will definitely be in our pantry again, and is one that we will recommend to others. I do love that the packet is easy to slip into the pantry, it isn't too thick and even if our pantry was reasonably full it isn't like trying to fit a big jar on the shelf.

I like the size of the packaging for this product; It's thin, so it takes up very little space, and being in a cardboard packet means it's recyclable, which is always a plus when you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint and minimise your waste to landfill.

The instructions are pretty straight forward, though it would have been nice if it was better formatted. The nutritional information is stuck on the packet (over the top of other nutritional information? so one would assume it was to meet new food labelling requirements that have come into play since the packaging was designed), so it doesn't seem like it would have been too difficult to have the cooking instructions in an easier to read format; currently it only has half the space as it is printed in two languages, despite the nutritional information only being printed in English. My main gripe with the directions is that it doesn't mention up front what additional ingredients you need for the recipe. You have to actually read through the entire recipe to find what you need to buy, so it's easy to over look things (such as it mentioning needing 125g of coconut milk, twice. It would be easy to overlook and only buy 125g instead of 250g).

Looking past the packaging and formatting, the directions are straight forward; heat paste with oil, add meat and coconut milk, simmer, add more coconut milk, and simmer again. It also gives recommendations to customise the flavour to your own liking with kaffir lime leaves, red chilli, salt or palm sugar. When I prepared my meal, I used chicken breast, and instead of palm sugar, used an organic cane sugar.

The paste comes in a plastic sachet within the cardboard package and has an easy-tear tab. The paste is very well grounded, with an even consistency, and is reasonably dry compared to other pastes that come in jars. It is dry enough that it takes a little bit of work to properly mix it in with the meat as it has a tendency to clump together. This does stop being an issue once the coconut milk is added, and the paste becomes a tasty sauce.

Now here is a bit of a disclaimer: I don't like seafood. I was a little concerned when the ingredients and allergen statement mentioned the paste contains shrimp and may contain anchovies. I have gotten used to many oriental foods containing oyster sauce, so I tried to go into this with an open mind. The sauce ended up rich peach-orange in colour, and when I tasted just the sauce, I was delighted to find I couldn't taste any fishy flavours. Even better, the sauce has a nice heat kick to it from the dried chilli, which makes up 17% of the weight of the paste. The lemongrass does give it a tangy flavour, which comes across a little bit on the acidic side, but is still tasty. I'd definitely recommend adding some vegetables to the meat as the meal wouldn't stretch very far as it is.

An easy meal that only requires meat and coconut milk to make. A great product for those that are unfamiliar or lack confidence with their spices.

I love a good curry - and being sensitive to MSG anything that is free from additives in the 620-629 range makes me smile!

This curry is so easy to make - I make red Thai curry often so the staples of coconut milk and chicken breast/prawns are always on hand. I loved that it had an aromatic scent that filled the kitchen as I warmed it with the oil and then added the other ingredients and voila! done and delicious! I love hot curry's and on the scale this one is quite mild which my family enjoyed! I can add chilli peppers to my plate as it is easier to add heat than remove it...

The price is cheap - a very inexpensive packet that makes a flavoursome meal - great for families, students or those on a tight budget. The extra ingredients to add do not make it an expensive meal, a few veges, protein and coconut milk alongside rice - easy.

The package is distinctive, I love orange so will naturally be attracted to the image and love that the product origin is stated right on the front - Product of Thailand. A few of these will be put in the trolley at once and there we go - a few meals on those nights I am rushing complete!

I would suggest this to my friends and certainly feed it to family and guests. A winner in our home!

This dish could not be easier to make! I bought some chicken breast for the meat content; I already had coconut milk and rice on hand, so the process was really straightforward. The directions were straightforward and in the time it took the rice to cook the curry was ready as well! That is the sort of cooking I like when I have been working all day and then have to cook for the family in the evening. Of course, I could assemble the herbs and spices myself - but in terms of the time involved and the possibility that at least one of the spices might not be available, it does not make sense.

The packet instructions suggested the paste should be cooked in a little vegetable oil till fragrant. That is an understatement - the smell of the sizzling spices was unbelievably good and everyone kept asking how long it would be before it was ready. And that was before I had even added the meat! I admit to wishing I could hurry up the process myself so I could get to taste some too.

We had six people (including myself and two children) to taste the result, and five of us thought this product was superb. One of the children (Mr Seven) would not taste it, but he is quite fussy about what he eats and does not enjoy spicy food at all. Hopefully he will grow out of that! Miss Five, on the other hand, enjoyed it because it was not too hot and she will try anything. The four adults were unanimous - it was one of the nicest curries they had ever tasted. The balance of spices was perfect: they were blended so perfectly that the individual flavours could not be isolated, and the initial searing with oil had allowed them to fuse into a smooth, creamy mix without any bitter aftertaste.

The one reservation I had was about the recommended number of servings - I don't think there would be quite enough for three adults. Especially since the taste is so nice - I for one was tempted to have a second helping but by then it had all disappeared.

As a family, we plan to try this product with some variations now that I know how easy it is to prepare. Collectively, we thought it would be nice made as a vegetarian dish with lentils or chickpeas - the sauce is not too dry so it would go well with these pulses. We also thought it might be nice with fish. Miss Five said she would like yoghurt with hers next time - a good idea which we all agreed with. The other possibility was to add a little more coconut milk. However we prepare it, we will certainly be looking for this product when shopping.