Massaman Beef Curry
A warm-spiced Thai Massaman beef curry with coconut milk, potatoes, peanuts and a gently rich sauce.
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1 hr 30 mintotal
45 min hands-on45 min hands-off
Prep 20 min · Cook 1 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
About two hours, most of it a slow covered simmer. The potatoes go in late so they do not disintegrate.
Method
Heat the neutral oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and fry the Massaman curry paste until fragrant and slightly darker.
Add the beef and stir until the outside is sealed and coated with the paste.
Pour in the coconut milk and water, then add cinnamon sticks, star anise and bay laurel leaf.
Cover and simmer gently until the beef starts becoming tender.
Add the potato and onion, then continue simmering until the beef and potato are tender.
Season with fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste, then simmer briefly until the sauce tastes balanced.
Stir in roasted peanuts and remove the whole spices before serving if preferred.
How to tell it's done
The beef should be tender, the potato soft but intact, and the sauce creamy and gently thick.
Getting it right
Tip
Keep the simmer gentle; Massaman curry tastes best when the beef softens slowly without the coconut sauce splitting.
What to serve it with
Serve hot with jasmine rice so the rice can soak up the rich curry sauce.
Common mistakes
- The beef is tough after an hour and a half.
- Chuck needs time and a bare simmer. If it is still firm, it needs longer rather than more heat — boiling it hard only tightens the meat further.
- The curry tastes flat and sweet.
- Tamarind and fish sauce are what hold massaman together. Add them near the end and taste: it should read sweet, sour and salty at once, with the warm spices behind. Sweet alone means the tamarind is short.
Substitutions
- Use Beef Brisket instead of Beef Chuck if preferred; simmer gently until tender.
- Use Coconut Cream for a richer curry, but loosen with water so the sauce remains pourable.
- Check Massaman Curry Paste labels for shrimp paste, fish sauce, soy or gluten depending on the brand.
- Use Cashews instead of Roasted Peanuts only if peanut avoidance is needed and tree nuts are acceptable.
Storing and reheating
Keeps four days in the fridge and is notably better the next day. Freezes for three months. Reheat gently; the coconut milk splits if boiled. Add the peanuts fresh so they keep some crunch.
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