Massaman Curry
Updated Jan. 10, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2whole green cardamom pods
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1(1-inch) cinnamon piece
- 4whole cloves
- ⅛teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 to 6tablespoons Thai red curry paste, to heat preference
- 2(14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk (do not shake)
- 2large shallots, thinly sliced in rounds
- 1pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 potatoes), peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1½ to 2pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, plus more for serving
- 2tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
- 2teaspoons granulated, light brown or palm sugar, plus more as needed
- 2teaspoons Thai tamarind concentrate, or lime juice, plus more as needed
- Cilantro leaves, for serving
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
For the Massaman Curry Paste
For the Curry
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
596 calories; 38 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 693 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the curry paste: Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Swirl the pan around, or toss the spices with a wooden spoon, and gently toast until fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer to a small bowl to cool, then place in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Grind to a fine powder, then return to the bowl. Stir in the ground nutmeg and red curry paste.
- Step 2
Heat a large (about 5½-quart) Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Scoop 4 tablespoons of the thick cream off the top of a can of coconut milk and add it to the pot; it will sizzle as soon as it hits the hot surface. Stir for a few seconds, then add the curry paste and continuously stir until the mixture becomes a thick paste and the oil starts to separate, about 3 minutes. If it starts sticking, pour in a splash of coconut milk. Stir in the shallots, and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk from both cans and bring to a boil. Stir frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, maintaining a lively boil, until slightly reduced and a bit thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are slightly softened at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, peanuts, fish sauce, sugar and tamarind. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through, the curry coats the back of a spoon, and all the flavors come to life, about 15 minutes. Taste and season to get the right balance of salt (fish sauce), sweet (sugar) and sour (tamarind).
- Step 5
Remove from the heat and let stand for a couple minutes, until the bright orange oil rises to the top. Serve with cilantro and peanuts, alongside steamed jasmine rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Maseri brand massaman curry paste is great. An easy way to get classic massaman flavor.
Our favorite Thai restaurant, Surin of Thailand, in Atlanta, does not use potatoes or peanuts. Instead they add sliced avocado and cashews. One of my favorite comfort foods.
This recipe is so underrated - one of the best I've ever made from NYT! My husband and I loved the complexity of flavors. It's a keeper and one that I will cook many times. Maybe the reason it is underrated is that it is hard to read as written. I reformatted it to one page and, next time I cook it, it will take far less time.
Tastes just like my local Thai restaurant. I like to add green beans and carrots, and I use cashews instead of peanuts. Serve with fresh avocado and cilantro :)
Substituted plain low fat yogurt and milk for coconut, use a Massaman spice mix from grocery store. Tasted great. I will add pineapple next time.
Excellent. Followed the recipe exactly, except I added some red bell pepper--more for color than anything. I used 4 tablespoons of Maesri red curry paste plus the spices as directed. As far as heat goes it was pleasing but fairly mild and I'll probably dial it up to six tbsp's next time. So much depends on which curry paste you buy, so it's real trial and error first time out. The salt-sweet-sour balance was perfect for me as per the recipe, but that too will come down to personal taste.