Food Recipes Dinner Curry Recipes Massaman Curry 4.0 (4,758) 1 Review Cinnamon, cumin, cloves, and tamarind season this rich, comforting curry made with beef and potatoes. By Alexandra Domrongchai Alexandra Domrongchai Alexandra Domrongchai is a food and travel writer based out of New York. With years of experience in the restaurant industry, food culture research, and as an avid traveler traveling she joins Travel + Leisure as a Commerce Writer where in addition to supporting the commerce team, she writes about all the best travel gadgets and more. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Amy Domrongchai Amy Domrongchai Amy Domrongchai is a chef and home cook based out of South Florida. She opened her first Thai restaurant in the 1980s, and continues to work in the kitchen at her family-run restaurant in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, Peppermint. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 28, 2023 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 55 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Servings: 4 servings With its strong Muslim influence and origins, Massaman curry combines spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise from Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Malay Archipelago. It also takes advantage of ingredients more commonly used in native Thai cuisine, such as kapi (shrimp paste), chiles, lemongrass, coriander, garlic, and coconut milk. With this broad medley of flavors and ingredients, Massaman curry is often reserved for religious ceremonies and special occasions. Its creamy, coconut milk base and generous use of warm spices like cinnamon give Massaman curry a mild, savory, and slightly sweet flavor — it’s typically not very spicy. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Massaman Curry Paste 2 cups water 1/8 ounce dried red Thai spur chiles (6 to 8 [2- to 3-inch] chiles total), unseeded and stemmed (if you want a hotter paste, add more chiles) 2 (5-inch) New Mexico chiles (about 1/3 ounce total), stemmed and seeded 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 medium (2 3/4 ounces total) shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 1 (2-inch) piece fresh galangal (about 1 ounce), peeled and chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) 2 (16-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass (about 3 1/2 ounces total), tender white inner bulbs only, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1 bunch) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon grated lime zest (from 1 medium [3-ounce] lime) 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (such as Pantai) 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 4 large garlic cloves Curry 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup Massaman Curry Paste 2 pounds boneless chuck roast or beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken and stirred 1/2 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick 2 tablespoons palm sugar or granulated sugar 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons tamarind paste 2 medium (11 ounces total) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 cups) 2 large (about 6 ounces total) carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup) 1 medium-size (8-ounce) yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) Additional ingredients Kosher salt, to taste Chopped peanuts Fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems Cooked white jasmine rice Directions Prepare the Massaman Curry Paste Place water, Thai chiles, and New Mexico chiles in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat, and let steep, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove chiles, and place in a food processor. Reserve soaking water. Cook cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cumin seeds to a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Grind toasted seeds to a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add shallots, galangal, lemongrass, cilantro, salt, lime zest, shrimp paste, ground cloves, garlic, ground cumin, and 1/4 cup of the chile soaking water to chiles in food processor. Process until mixture forms a just slightly chunky paste, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (If the mixture is too thick to blend well, add more reserved soaking water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) You should have about 3/4 cup curry paste. Transfer mixture to an airtight container, and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Prepare the Curry Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1/2 cup Massaman Curry Paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beef, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium-high; reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until beef is almost fork-tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion to mixture in Dutch oven; return to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef and vegetables are fork-tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Serve over rice. Note To grind this paste by hand, you will need a solid stone mortar and pestle. Seed and stem chiles as needed; place in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside to soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Rinse softened chiles and pat dry. Place cumin seeds in a skillet over medium, and toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Shake pan constantly to ensure seeds toast evenly. Transfer seeds to a small heatproof bowl to cool 5 to 10 minutes. Place chiles in a stone mortar. Add salt, and start pounding in an up-and-down motion with a pestle until chiles and salt mixture is smooth. Add toasted cumin, and pound until smooth. Add lemongrass and galangal, and pound until smooth. Add cilantro, shallots, and garlic, and pound until smooth. Add shrimp paste, lime zest, and ground cloves; pound until smooth. Use immediately or store as directed. To make ahead Store curry paste in an airtight glass jar or container in refrigerator up to 14 days, or in freezer up to 3 months. Rate It Print