Beef Massaman Curry
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: October 18, 2019
Thai Massaman Curry features meltingly tender beef in a mild, fragrant coconut gravy – creamy potatoes round off the dish, leaving us with an intensely satisfying South East Asian delight. It’s one of Thailand’s most loved curry recipes and not hard to see why.
The Beef Massaman Curry is one of the tastiest thai curries you're ever likely to experience. For this out there who are not sadistic about their spice or for those who just don't like hot hot food, this is a great curry for you.
Not all Thai curries are nuclear - the Beef Massaman is much milder and unfathomably fragrant. It's creamy, and sweet and warming without the challenging hit of spice. It uses unusual spices for Thai food, which may link back to its Persian and Indian roots as the word Massaman derives from the word Muslim.
It has a deep, rich spice and a luxurious texture. It's quite unlike the typical fast cooked curries in thin, light sauces we're familiar with from Thailand. Instead, it has more in common with Indian techniques of slow braising.
What is Massaman?
The term "Massaman" doesn't have a direct translation in English, but it is believed to have originated from the word "Mussulman," which means "Muslim" in Thai. This suggests that the dish might have been influenced by Muslim traders or immigrants to Thailand.
The curry itself is characterized by a blend of Thai and Muslim flavours, making it distinct from other Thai curries. It typically features a rich and creamy sauce made with coconut milk, combined with a blend of spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, along with ingredients like peanuts, potatoes, onions, and meat or protein of choice. The result is a flavourful and aromatic dish with a slightly sweet and mildly spicy taste.
Why it works?
It's comfort food, Thai-style. There was one fantastic Thai takeaway store in Australia that did the BEST massaman curry and I always ordered it when I was feeling under the weather or if it was a bit chilly outside. Once I learned how to make the authentic massaman myself I make sure I always have a stash in the freezer. It's perfect for cheering and warming even the coldest of souls.
Stuff You'll Need
There are some pretty decent massaman curry pastes out there which you could explore, but making your own paste from scratch is pretty easy and gives the best results. Here's what you'll need to source.
- Massaman Curry Paste - is a combination of cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper, salt, peanuts, thai chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and coriander stalks.
- Beef - use chuck steak (I like to choose some that has a little marbled fat to ensure a juicy result).
- Coconut Milk - brings the sweet and silky creaminess to the massaman
- Fish Sauce - adds a hit of umami saltiness synonymous with Thai cuisine
- Potatoes - used to pad out the sauce and give a creamy counter to the soft meat.
Step by Step
The bulk of time spent on this dish outside of the cooking is on the massaman paste. There are a couple of stages to that and a hefty roll-call of ingredients, but it's worth it!
- Step 1 - Create a curry powder - dry roast in a pan the cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves until they begin to dance around the pan. Remove and grind into a fine powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Then mix in the ground spices; paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper and salt, then set aside.
- Step 2 - Fry the peanuts in a little oil until browned then drain on paper towels and leave to cool.
- Step 3 - Using a stick blender, food processor or pestle & mortar, grind the cooled peanuts, chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and coriander into a paste. Add the curry powder and blend again to incorporate, adding a little water if it becomes too thick.
- Step 4 - Drizzle the fish sauce over the beef and toss to coat. In a large pan over medium heat, warm peanut oil then brown the beef for 4-5 minutes.
- Step 5 - Add the massaman paste and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 can of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until reduced then add the remaining coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer the curry gently, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is soft.
- Step 6 - Add the potatoes and cook for 25 minutes until they're soft. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Pro Tips
- Make the paste and freeze it. Given that massaman curry paste is fairly labour intensive, it makes sense to make some in bulk and freeze it. I freeze mine in small zip-lock bags that I flatten out and seal. They're easier to store flat and they defrost in minutes.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
To serve Massaman beef, you typically plate it alongside Jasmine rice and garnish it with fresh coriander leaves. You can also add some sliced red chilies for extra heat, if you want a little chilli heat. Additionally, serving Massaman beef with some lime wedges on the side can add a refreshing citrusy touch to the dish.
- Fridge - Store the Massaman curry in the refrigerator (in airtight containers) for up to 5-6 days. Reheat on the stove or in a microwave until piping hot.
- Freezer - Massaman curry can typically be stored in the freezer for up to 3+ months. When ready to use, thaw the curry overnight in the fridge before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot.
Ready to get cooking?
As you can see, Massaman is one of the most luxuriant of Thai curries and quite unique in Thai cuisine. It's a rich, heady and flavourful curry that although mild in chilli heat is intense in warming, earthy spice. It's the perfect combination of flavours and textures and one of my all time favourite curries! I hope you enjoy making yours at home.
More tasty Thai recipes
If you liked this Massaman beef curry, I'm sure you'll love some more of my favourite Thai recipes.
- Thai Red Curry Chicken
- Thai Omelette (Kai Jeow)
- Satay Chicken Curry
- Pad Prik King
- Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)
- Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
- Thai Crying Tiger Beef with Nam Jim Jaew Sauce
- Chicken Larb (Larb Gai)
- Thai Curry Noodle Soup with Salmon
- Yellow Curry with Minced Pork - WINNER!
- Panang Chicken Curry
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Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 3 Thai chillies
- 5 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 lemongrass stalk
- 2 shallots (peeled)
- 3 cm piece of fresh galangal (sliced)
- 1 small bunch coriander stems (keep leaves for garnish)
Dry ingredients
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 5 cm cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the curry
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 kg beef chuck (cut into chunks)
- 2 400ml cans coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into large pieces)
Instructions
For the curry
- Create the spice powder first. Heat a frying pan and add the cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves.
- Dry fry for 1-2 minutes until the cumin starts to pop and jump around. Remove and add to a spice grinder or pestle & mortar. Grind the spices into a fine powder then stir in the paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper and salt.
- Add peanut oil to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels to cool.
- Using a stick blender or food processor or pestle & mortar, grind the peanuts, chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and coriander into a paste. Add the powder and blend again to incorporate, adding a little water if it becomes too thick.
- Pour the fish sauce over the beef and toss to combine. In a large pan over a medium heat, heat the peanut oil and then add the beef to the pan to fry for 4-5 minutes to brown. Add the paste and stir well to combine.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes before adding 1/2 can coconut milk. Now turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking until the sauce is almost gone. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cans of coconut milk and 1 can full of water and again, bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the curry for 1 1/2 hours, partially covered until the beef is soft. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 25 minutes until they're cooked through. I serve mine with Jasmine rice and sprinkle over some fresh coriander leaves.
How many people does this recipe serve
The recipe serves 4, but you can use the little drop down arrow in the recipe description up or down for how many you need and it will adjust the ingredients too.
Thanks
Lee
Your recipe
Says add the paprika but there’s no paprika in ingredients. How much paprika???
Thanks for spotting and letting me know! It’s 1tsp of paprika.
Lee
Do you think i can do this in a slow cooker? Was thinking about just chucking it all in at the same time and then leaving it to cook for the day. Is that a bad idea?
Its perfect for a slow cooker… The only thing I would leave out are the potatoes. If you slow cook them in the curry they’ll make it too starchy and they’ll end up mushy. Just add some pre cooked potatoes right at the end.
You’ve made me want to eat an entire pan of this now… Thank you!
I did it, amazing! Totally delicious. I made rotis to go with it. Thanks Lee!
Splendid!
I have been given a tip off of where to buy a good, cheap slow cooker (ALDI), so I am off to buy one tomorrow – I think I’ll christen it with this curry. Glad you liked.
L