Massaman Curry

Massaman Beef Curry (Gaeng Massaman Neua)

A mild, rich Thai coconut curry with Persian-Indian roots, slow-braised beef with potato and peanuts in a gently spiced, slightly sweet sauce.

Prep

20 min

Cook

120 min

Total

140 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) beef chuck, cut in 4 cm cubes, well-marbled chuck or shoulder
• •400 ml (1½ cups) full-fat coconut milk, shaken well; Thai brand if possible
• •200 ml (¾ cup) water
• •60 g (¼ cup) Massaman curry paste, store-bought, or homemade
• •3 tbsp tamarind paste, concentrated, not the sweetened jar type
• •3 tbsp fish sauce, Thai nam pla
• •3 tbsp palm sugar, chopped; soft brown sugar is the closest substitute
• •400 g (14 oz) potatoes, peeled and quartered, waxy variety such as Yukon Gold
• •1 whole (1 medium) yellow onion, sliced
• •100 g (⅔ cup) roasted unsalted peanuts
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil
• •1 tsp dried chilli flakes, optional, for a little warmth
• •1 piece (5 cm / 2 in) cinnamon stick
• •3 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• •2 whole star anise
• •4 whole cloves
• •1 tbsp lime juice, fresh
• •salt, to taste
• •steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Pat the beef dry and season lightly with salt. Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. 2 Reduce heat to medium. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves to the pot and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. 3 Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
4. 4 Add the Massaman paste and dried chilli flakes (if using) and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and smells toasted.
5. 5 Pour in about 100 ml (scant ½ cup) of the coconut milk, the thickest part from the top of the can. Stir well and simmer for 3 minutes until the oil begins to separate from the paste.
6. 6 Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the remaining coconut milk and the water. Stir in the tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to a gentle boil.
7. 7 Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is nearly tender. The internal temperature of the beef should reach at least 85°C (185°F) and a fork should slide in with slight resistance.
8. 8 Add the potatoes and continue to simmer, covered, for a further 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and the beef is fully tender.
9. 9 Stir in the peanuts and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes so the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon.
10. 10 Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Adjust seasoning with fish sauce, palm sugar, salt and lime juice to balance salty-sweet-sour.
11. 11 Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then serve hot over steamed jasmine rice.