Traditional Massaman Curry 🍛🌶️
A warming and aromatic dish with roots in Thai cuisine, Massaman Curry is a rich, mildly spiced coconut curry, packed with tender meat (typically beef or chicken), potatoes, and peanuts. It’s perfect for cosy dinners and offers a delightful balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavours.
Ingredients:
🐄 Beef chuck or chicken thighs: 500g, cut into chunks
🥔 Potatoes: 3 medium, peeled and cut into chunks
🧄 Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
🧅 Onion: 1 large, chopped
🍛 Massaman curry paste: 3 tablespoons
🥥 Coconut milk: 400ml
🌾 Chicken or vegetable stock: 500ml
🍯 Palm sugar: 1 tablespoon (or brown sugar)
🌰 Peanuts: 50g, crushed (for garnish)
🌶️ Red chilies: 2, sliced (for garnish)
🌱 Fresh coriander: a handful (for garnish)
🍋 Tamarind paste: 1 tablespoon
🧂 Salt: to taste
🧴 Vegetable oil: 2 tablespoons
🍚 Cooked rice: to serve
Method:
🧴 Heat the oil: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking for about 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
🍛 Cook the curry paste: Stir in the Massaman curry paste and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing the spices to release their oils.
🐄 Add the beef or chicken: Toss in the beef or chicken chunks and cook until browned on all sides, about 5–7 minutes.
🥥 Pour in the coconut milk and stock: Add the coconut milk and stock, stirring everything together. Bring to a simmer.
🥔 Add the potatoes and simmer: Stir in the potato chunks, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
🍯 Season the curry: Stir in the palm sugar, tamarind paste, and salt to taste. If you want more spice, add extra chopped chilies at this stage.
🌰 Serve: Ladle the curry into bowls, then garnish with crushed peanuts, sliced red chilies, and fresh coriander.
🍚 Enjoy: Serve with a steaming bowl of rice for a satisfying meal.
Serving Information:
⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
⏱ Cooking Time: 1 hour
⏱ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
🍴 Servings: 4
🔥 Calories: ~450 per serving
This rich and creamy Massaman Curry is bound to become a family favourite—flavoursome, comforting, and utterly delicious! 🌶️🍛