Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Massaman curry
A mild, rich Thai curry with potatoes and peanuts, warmed with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Its name is usually traced to Muslim (“Musulman”) traders, and its spices are closer to Indian and Persian cooking than other Thai curries.
Same steps, different flavour base MildRecipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Massaman curry. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Massaman curry
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 600 g Beef or chicken.
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Massaman curry: do thisCut one onion into wedges. Skip the chillies.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Massaman curry: do thisFry the massaman paste in a little thick coconut cream with the onion for about 3 minutes.
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Massaman curry: do thisUse beef or chicken, plus potato chunks.
Add them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Massaman curry: do thisSkip the chilli powder and turmeric. Do add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon (step B).
Keep frying until just before they start browning.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Massaman curry: do thisAdd the coconut milk and some water.
Base step: do not useAdd salt.
Massaman curry: do thisSeason with fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar instead of salt.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Massaman curry: do thisSimmer until the meat is tender (beef takes 1½–2 hours) and add the peanuts near the end.
Serve: With jasmine rice.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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