Massaman Curry | Diethood – impulsoplus.com

It doesn’t get higher than beef Massaman curry comprised of scratch! I slow-cook this wealthy, aromatic Thai curry with juicy beef chunks, potatoes, smoky chilies, and coconut milk till the meat is fall-apart-tender and the sauce is wealthy and flavorful.

Curry served in bowls with rice, with fresh herbs and a striped dishcloth placed near the bowls.

This Massaman curry could be a few of my greatest work. It’s a wealthy, flavorful, Thai coconut curry brimming with fragrant spices, tender, fall-apart beef chunks, and smoky chili warmth that will get softened by the coconut milk. After all, in true Massaman fashion, I couldn’t overlook a sprinkle of crunchy roasted peanuts and cilantro for garnish. Piled over rice, it was love at first chunk. This curry takes a little bit of time to make nevertheless it’s the right dish for a Sunday afternoon. The hassle is SO value it!

Why I Love This Curry Recipe

All the flavour. Curry is likely one of the first issues to return to thoughts after I consider BIG taste. This Massaman curry recipe has loads of it, infused in each saucy chunk. It’s mildly spicy (however straightforward to adapt), savory-sweet, and crammed with umami. The meat and potatoes soak that every one up. Too good!
Simple components. My selfmade Massaman curry paste makes use of plenty of pantry spices you’ll acknowledge, plus just a few easy-to-find extras that the majority grocery shops have within the worldwide meals aisle. I wished a recipe that recreated the daring flavors I really like with out going wild with unique components.
Low and sluggish. There’s some prep concerned in making the curry paste and getting the components cubed, chopped, and diced, however this recipe turns into fairly hands-off as soon as the cooking begins. I prepare dinner this low and sluggish to carry out all the flavour, so many of the work will get left to my stovetop.

What Goes In Massaman Curry?

Massaman curry is a aromatic, wealthy, and barely spicy mash-up of Thai and Indian-style curries, so the components mirror just a little little bit of each. It makes use of fashionable Indian spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves, with Malay influences within the Thai red-style curry paste.

Beneath is an summary of the components on this Massaman curry with some notes and substitutions. You should definitely scroll to the recipe card for a printable record with the quantities.

Massaman Curry Paste

Spices – You’ll want floor cumin, white pepper (or black pepper in a pinch), ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon.
Chilies – I exploit Fresno chilies since they’re straightforward to seek out within the US. Good substitutes for Fresno chilies are jalapeño or chipotle peppers, which each have the smokiness we’re after. I like to recommend seeding the peppers to take the warmth off just a little.
Lemongrass Paste – You’ll discover this within the worldwide meals aisle close to different Asian cooking components. Recent lemongrass is sort of robust, but when you will discover some, you’ll be able to grind it right into a paste your self.
Garlic – Recent cloves, please!
Crimson Onion – One other gentle onion may also work right here, like yellow onion or candy Vidalia onion. Cube it up finely.
Cilantro – Simply the stems! Cilantro stems add texture, plus they’re packed stuffed with taste. Should you don’t have cilantro, parsley stems or Thai basil stems will work, too.
Miso Paste – Additionally discovered within the worldwide meals aisle. Miso is a thick paste comprised of fermented soybeans. It’s the key to a great deal of umami taste in recipes like my Japanese pork katsu.
Brown Sugar – Granulated sugar or one other sweetener, like honey or agave, would work right here, too.
Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is greatest, however bottled is ok in a pinch.

ingredients for Massaman curry with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Curry Substances

Beef Chuck – Minimize into cubes. Different good slow-cooking cuts for curry are beef shanks (like what you’d use for osso buco), tri-tip, or quick ribs.
Cornstarch – We’re going to “velvet” the meat cubes earlier than we prepare dinner them. Velveting means coating the meat in cornstarch, which helps tenderize the meat. It’s a straightforward trick utilized by Asian eating places that makes the meat on this curry additional juicy and tender.
Vegetable Oil – Canola oil or avocado oil are good selections.
Coconut Milk – You’ll need to use a can of full-fat coconut milk, or coconut cream, which is able to yield a thicker curry. Simply just be sure you don’t purchase cream of coconut, which is VERY candy and gained’t work right here.
Onion – Thinly sliced.
Potatoes – I like a small, tender selection, like child gold potatoes. I’d suggest any potato that’s waxy, and never starchy.
Peanuts – Roasted peanuts are a signature ingredient in Massaman curries. They add additional richness and scrumptious crunch! Clearly, be happy to skip them for those who’re nut-free.

Do I Should Use Beef?

Sluggish-cooking beef is the most typical selection for Massaman curry, however you can also make it with nearly any protein. The simmering technique is straightforward to adapt to leaner cuts and proteins like rooster, which prepare dinner quicker. Should you’d want a rooster curry, think about using the cooking directions for my rooster rogan josh as a reference.

To make a vegetarian Massaman curry as a substitute, pass over the meat and substitute it with additional potatoes, or different slow-cooking greens like butternut and carrots. You’ll be able to bulk up the protein with add-ins like chickpeas, too.

Overhead image of a pot with Thai Massaman curry.

How you can Make Massaman Curry Paste

The bottom of many curries begins with a aromatic paste made by mixing spices and aromatics. When you’ve gathered your components, the paste comes collectively rapidly within the blender:

Mix. Add your entire curry paste components to a blender or meals processor. Should you’re old fashioned, it’s also possible to get out your pestle and mortar for this.
Mix. Mix or grind the components to type a clean paste. If the combination wants just a little assist coming collectively, you’ll be able to add a spoonful of water as wanted.

You too can make this Massaman curry with store-bought curry paste. It gained’t have fairly the identical freshness and taste, nevertheless it’ll do in a pinch. Confer with the instructions on the package deal in case it’s essential add your store-bought paste at a special level within the cooking course of.

Making the Massaman Curry

Are you drooling but? As a result of I’m. Together with your curry paste set to go, it’s time to get this curry saucy and simmering. Observe the steps right here, and scroll to the printable recipe card for particulars.

Overhead view of Massaman curry paste inside a blender. — 1. Mix the curry paste.

Make the curry paste. See above. I typically double the recipe and retailer the extras in a tight-lidded jar. Selfmade curry paste lasts as much as 4 weeks within the fridge, or 3 months within the freezer!
Put together the meat. In the meantime, you’ll velvet the meat in a bowl with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Afterward, sear the meat cubes over medium-high warmth till they’re good and caramelized.
Mix and prepare dinner. Add your coconut milk, curry paste, and beef broth to the pot and provides {that a} good stir. Decrease the warmth and add the onion. Then, let the curry simmer, coated, for two hours.
Add the potatoes. Lastly, add your potatoes within the final 25 minutes in order that they’ll prepare dinner by means of.
Serve. Serve your heat and aromatic Massaman curry over rice topped with peanuts and recent cilantro. See under for extra concepts.

Pot of Massaman curry with a ladle inside it.

Suggestions and Variations

Don’t undercook the meat. Undercooked beef chuck can be robust, and never fall-apart-tender. Guarantee that the meat simmers for couple of hours for greatest outcomes.
Use a faster cooking lower. Curries are greatest once they’re cooked low and sluggish, however for those who don’t have hours to spare, you’ll be able to put together this recipe with a leaner beef lower, like flank steak or skirt steak. It gained’t have fairly as a lot taste nevertheless it’ll prepare dinner quicker.
Keep away from a watery curry. Ensure that to appropriately measure liquid components, like broth, and simmer the curry for lengthy sufficient to prepare dinner off the surplus liquid. Simmering makes the meat ultra-tender and offers the sauce an opportunity to thicken.
Extra veggies. On high of potatoes, you should utilize any veggies you’d like on this curry. Candy potatoes, squash, carrots, and bell peppers are all good choices. Simply be sure you pay attention to cooking instances and add the veggies on the proper level.

Massaman curry is served in a bowl with rice.

What to Serve With Curry

My favourite method to serve Massaman curry is over a mattress of white rice or cumin rice to take in the flavors within the sauce. After all, no curry dinner is full with out fluffy naan bread for a similar purpose!

This selfmade curry can be scrumptious with vegetable biryani rice, which works effectively as a starter, too, with rooster satay on the facet. And if I’m searching for extra methods to spherical out a meal, I’ll make a batch of savory samosas or Indian samosa chaat (an Indian-style snack platter).

Close-up photo of rice with curry in a bowl, garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate. Retailer the cooled leftover curry in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
Reheat. Heat the Massaman curry in a saucepan on the range over medium warmth. I a lot want it to the microwave, as the meat is much less more likely to flip rubbery.
Freeze. You’ll be able to freeze leftover curry for as much as 3 months. Wait till it’s cool after which freeze it in an hermetic container. Thaw the curry within the fridge earlier than reheating.

Extra Curry Recipes to Attempt

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Mix. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, salt, chilis, lemongrass paste, garlic, onion, cilantro, miso paste, brown sugar, and lime juice to a blender. Pulse till a paste types. If the paste isn’t coming collectively, add water, one tablespoon at a time, as wanted.
Season the meat. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss collectively the meat, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
Brown the meat. In a big saucepan, warmth the oil over medium-high warmth. Add the meat and saute till properly caramelized on all sides.
Make it saucy. Stir within the coconut milk and the curry paste adopted by the meat broth. Stir till effectively mixed.
Simmer. Flip the warmth to low, stir within the onion, and canopy the saucepan. Simmer for two hours.
Add the potatoes. Stir within the potatoes, cowl the pan once more, and prepare dinner for 25 minutes or till the potatoes are fork-tender.
Serve. Serve heat over steamed white rice garnished with peanuts and cilantro.

Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in line with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.