Warm toasted cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves in a rich thick beef stew. Yes I am talking about an authentic Thai Curry. It is mild compared to others as it draws its seasonings from the toasted spices, mellowing out the heat and resembles more of an Indian spiced curry (Where it originally came from). Another unique addition compared to other curries is the Tamarind paste which adds that delicious sweet and sour taste. This dish can be made with pork, chicken or simply vegetarian but the best way to extract all the rich flavours from this curry is a long, slow cooked melt in your mouth stewing beef. Can I have a bowl right now? Probably not a good idea at 9:00 in the morning but hey, who’s judging.
So here I was in Thailand and had just arrived in Koh Samui to go and visit my boyfriends Uncle Marty, who by the way is amazing. He picks us up from the airport and immediately takes us to this beach bar for some lunch and a few beers. We spent a few days in Bangkok before hand but we were mostly eating street food, grilled squid and fish on the BBQ, spicy soups and refreshing papaya salads (except for the time I ordered it “local spicy” and almost burnt all my taste buds off). So, when he recommended we try some of the curries we were more than excited. Now, I have had a red curry and a green curry at home in restaurants (although they didn’t even compare to Thailand … Obviously) but never had I tried Massamam Curry. Didn’t even know that it existed. So, when this incredible curry came to the table I was blown away.
Operation “Must make Massamam Curry at home has commenced!”
Now I know that it might sound weird that on a day that is over 30 degrees outside and you have your toes in the sand and your sitting a foot away from a crystal clear blue ocean, a rich beef curry might not be the exact thing that comes to mind when you’re hungry, but trust me it was delicious. And I don’t really care what the weather is like outside, long stews and braises are great anytime. Well, they are to me at least.
Here are a few reasons why I think you will be in love with this dish:
- Coconut Milk: High in fibre, vitamins, minerals and is Lactose Free
- Roasted Peanuts: A savory roasted flavour and you just cant resist
- Deliciously creamy
- Full of warming toasted spices
- Because I said so
Included is a recipe for a homemade Massamam Curry Paste but if you choose to use store bought that is fine, just add a little more ginger and garlic for flavour. Also, watch the salt content and store bought pastes are naturally very high in salt. Enjoy!
Notes:
- Store extra homemade curry paste in a jar or double plastic bag. It will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge or up to 5 months in the freezer. If stored in the freezer, add some extra garlic and ginger when using.
- If the liquid reduces too much while cooking, just add a little stock or water. If using stock, make sure that you are either using low sodium or no sodium or it might be too salty
- If you don’t have tamarind pulp, substitute 3 tablespoons tamarind paste and if you cant find either then you can substitute lime juice. If you want to get into cooking more Thai food then investing in a good jar of tamarind paste will be worth it and will last an eternity in your fridge.
- [b]Massamam Curry[/b][br]
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 Cup Coconut Cream
- 300g Stewing Beef (Trimmed and Cubed) Enough for 4 Portions
- 4 Tbl Massamam Curry Paste
- 1 Cup Potato, Cubed
- 1 Cup Carrot, Cubed
- 1 Cup Onion
- 4 Tbl Roasted Peanuts
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 2 Cardamom Pod
- 2 Cloves
- 1-2 Tbl Fish Sauce
- 1-2 Tbl Tamarind Juice or Pulp
- 1/2 Tbl Palm Sugar
- 1 Red Chilli, Deseeded and thinly sliced to serve (Optional)
- Jasmine Rice or Baguette to serve (Optional)
- [b]Massamam Curry Paste[/b][br]
- 1/2 tsp Lime Rind
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Seed
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
- 2 Dried Red Chilis
- 1 Lemongrass
- 1 Ginger Slice
- 2 Shallots
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 1 tsp Shrimp Paste
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- For the Curry Paste, Soak dried chillies in hot water for 10 minutes, remove seeds
- In a dry frying pan add lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger and lime and fry until fragrant. Do not use oil. Add ingredients to a mortal and pestle and ground to a paste. Alternatively, you can mix in a food processor but you will need to add some coconut milk
- For the Curry, Start by heating a large pot of medium heat. Add the cinnamon, star anise, cardamom pods and cloves and dry fry until fragrant. This will take around 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring.
- If you are using tamarind pulp, add 1 tablespoon to a bowl with about 4 tablespoon of hot water. Mash with your fingers until most of the pulp is released. Strain, reserving the liquid and set aside
- Season the beef all over with salt and pepper and bring the pan back up to a medium high heat. Add enough cooking oil to barely cover the bottom and add the beef in batches making sure not to crowd the pan. We want to create a nice, dark crust not a grey one.
- Once all the meat is seared, wipe the bottom of the pan out and add a tablespoon of oil and fry with the massamam curry paste. Stir fry for about 3 minutes or until fragrant, adding a few drops of oil if needed.
- Next, add the coconut cream, coconut milk, toasted spices, fish sauce, onions, sugar, tamarind puree and peanuts to the pot. Bring to a boil and then add the browned meat. Turn the heat down and set to a simmer, cover, leaving a small space between the lid and the side of the saucepan.
- Simmer for 1 hour until beef is almost ready, then add the cubed potatoes and carrots and cook until everything tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick stew. If while cooking the liquid reduces too much then add a little more water or chicken stock and continue to cook
- Spoon into bowls and served with sliced chill and either rice or crusty bread
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