Massaman Curry
Thicker than other Thai curries, massaman curry is rich with coconut milk, peanuts and warm seasonings like red curry paste, cardamom, coriander, cumin and cinnamon — flavors that reflect the dish’s Central and South Asian influences. You can buy premade massaman curry paste at Thai markets and online, but it’s easy to make from scratch, starting with store-bought red curry paste and adding toasted and ground spices. (Don’t shake the can of coconut milk before opening, so you can use the thick cream on top to fry the curry paste.) This version calls for boneless chicken thighs, but feel free to substitute beef, shrimp or tofu as you wish. Finally, it’s important to make sure the flavors — salty (fish sauce), sweet (sugar) and sour (tamarind) — are balanced, so towards the end of cooking, taste and tweak as needed. Serve alongside a pile of fluffy jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- 2whole green cardamom pods
- 1 teaspooncoriander seeds
- 1 teaspooncumin seeds
- 1cinnamon piece
- 4whole cloves
- ⅛ teaspoonground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoonsthai red curry paste, to heat preference
- 2cans full-fat coconut milk (do not shake)
- 2 largeshallots, thinly sliced in rounds
- 1 poundyukon gold potatoes (about 2 potatoes), peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ poundsboneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cupdry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoonsfish sauce, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoonsgranulated, light brown or palm sugar, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoonsthai tamarind concentrate, or lime juice, plus more as needed
- cilantro leaves, for serving
- steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Directions
- 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.
- 2
Heat a large (about 5 1/2-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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.