Authentic Beef Massaman Curry

 

I love a good Thai beef Massaman curry. This recipe will get you authentic and delicious results.

Massaman curries are different to most other Thai curries. Thai food has many influences from Chinese to Indian. 

Beef Massaman curry definitely has Indian and Persian influences. Whole spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon and black peppercorns are added to the Massaman curry paste.

Although beef Massaman curry tastes very Thai, you will notice some of the other influences.

<H2>Getting this recipe right</h2>

It is essential that the potatoes and beef be cooked to perfection. No one likes beef that isn’t tender or under-cooked potatoes. 

This is why I suggest cooking these in water first until cooked through. By doing this you not only get deliciously tender meat and potatoes, the water becomes a mouthwatering stock that is added to the sauce. 

<h2>Which Thai curry paste to use?</h2>

I hope you try my homemade Massaman curry paste. This is an authentic recipe prepared the traditional way, by pounding the ingredients into a buttery paste. 

Although pounding the ingredient for up to an hour is the traditional way of doing it, you can cheat a bit and use a food processor.

Alternatively, purchase a good quality Massaman curry paste if you must. I use Mae Ploy 

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Thai green curry paste
Thai red curry paste
Thai grilled chicken – gai yang
Khao soi – Thai chicken soup with noodles
Coconut curry chicken

Authentic Beef Massaman Curry

Yield: 4 - 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 700g (1 3/4 lbs.) stewing beef
• 500ml (2 cups) water plus more as required
• 2 potatoes - peeled and cut into bit sized pieces
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 red onion - roughly diced
• 1 handful of roasted peanuts
• 1 batch homemade Massaman curry paste or shop bought paste to taste.
• 400ml (1 1/2 cups) thick coconut milk
• 1 - 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place the beef in a saucepan and pour the water over it. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is really tender. You will probably need to add more water but only add just enough to cover. We want the stock to be really flavourful from the beef.
2. When the meat is almost tender enough to eat, stir in the potatoes and cook until fork tender.
3. While the meat is cooking, you can start making the curry. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the onion and peanuts. Fry for about 3 minutes and then add the massaman curry paste. Stir well to combine in the oil.
4. Now add the coconut milk and the tamarind concentrate, followed by the beef, potatoes and about 250ml (1 cup) of the cooking stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken.
5. Season with salt to taste to serve.

I hope you enjoy this beef Massaman curry recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.