A bowl of Massaman Curry and some Jasmin rice or naan bread will definitely warm up your soul and it’s winter here, and I need it! Thanks to my good friend, Jamie, who asked for the recipe. I haven’t made it for a while so it’s about time.
Thai Massaman Curry is a southern Thai dish, influenced by Indian and Malay (Malaysian/Indonesian) cuisine. It’s flavorful and richer than other Thai curry dishes. This brings back some good memories from my undergrad years at Thammasat University in Bangkok Thailand, where there were hundred of local restaurants nearby and the college kids never went to bed or class hungry. There’s one particular southern restaurant, actually it’s not even a restaurant, it’s more like a shack with a few tables right next to the river. They cooked a giant pot of Thai Massaman Curry everyday. The aroma of it would just suck you right in every time you walk by.
Thai Massaman Curry is usually made of chicken legs (or beef, pork, and I’ve seen ducks too), potatoes, peanuts, coconut milk can massaman curry paste. Personally I love using chicken legs because; 1) I don’t have to cut the meat. 2) The chicken bones add the natural sweet flavor of chicken stock to the curry. However, you can use beef or pork and cut the meat into big pieces. I’m not a fan of peanuts so I always make with cashews. 🙂
One may question what are the differences between this curry and other Thai curry? The flavors of the massaman curry paste (nam phrik kaeng matsaman) come from spices that are not frequently used in other Thai curries. It has cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg and mace. You should be able to find the massaman curry paste from your local grocery or you can order it from amazon. Here’s the link, massaman curry paste
The other ingredients are coconut milk
If you’re a fan of curry, I have a few recipes below.
Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Coconut Curry
Red Curry Chicken with Bamboo Shoots
Green Curry Chicken with Hearts of Palm
Phad Prik King (Thai Red Curry Stir-Fried Green Beans)
Let’s cook some food!
Peel and cut potatoes and yellow onion into larges chunks.
In a large pot, medium heat, add massaman curry paste and about ¼ cup of coconut milk into the pot. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil. Let it cook for a couple minutes.
Add the rest of the first can of coconut milk, the chicken legs (beef or pork) and roasted peanuts (or cashews). Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the second can of coconut milk, potatoes and onion.
Put the lid on and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
Set the heat to low. Season with fish sauce, tamarind and brown sugar (or palm sugar). Taste and see if it needs more seasoning. It should mainly taste salty and sweet. Add some cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.
Serve hot with some Jasmin rice or naan bread. Enjoy!
I really hope you give this Thai Massaman Curry a try, the recipe card is below.
- 4-5 chicken legs (or 1 lb. of beef or pork cut into big pieces)
- 6 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts (or cashews)
- 2 (13.66 oz.) cans coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons massaman curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or palm sugar)
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- cayenne pepper (optional)
- In a large pot, medium heat, add massaman curry paste and about ¼ cup of coconut milk into the pot. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil. Let it cook for a couple minutes.
- Add the rest of the first can of coconut milk, the chicken legs (beef or pork) and roasted peanuts (or cashews). Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the second can of coconut milk, potatoes and onion. Put the lid on and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
- Set the heat to low. Season with fish sauce, tamarind and brown sugar (or palm sugar). Taste and see if it needs more seasoning. It should mainly taste salty and sweet. Add some cayenne pepper if you want it spicier. Serve hot with some Jasmin rice or naan bread. Enjoy!
This is Intrigue!
Thanks Lucy. I hope you give it a try. 😁