Recipe by Priya Nair · Serves 4 · Medium
Why this curry works
Massaman is the gentlest of Thai curries — warm spices, creamy coconut and beef that surrenders at the touch of a spoon. We char the shallots and bloom the paste in solid coconut cream first, which gives the sauce its deep brick-red oil and roasted backbone.
Brown the beef hard, then leave the pot alone. An hour of lazy simmering does more than any shortcut, and the peanuts go in at the end so they stay buttery, not mushy.
Prep15 min
Cook60 min
Serves4
LevelMedium
Ingredients
- 800g beef chuck, cut into large cubes
- 3 tbsp massaman curry paste
- 400ml coconut milk, plus 3 tbsp solid cream
- 4 shallots, halved and charred
- 500g baby potatoes, halved
- 60g roasted peanuts, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp palm sugar
- Steamed jasmine rice and lime, to serve
Method
1
Sear the beef. Season the cubes and brown in batches in a heavy pot until deeply crusted. Set aside — colour here is flavour later.
2
Bloom the paste. Fry the solid coconut cream until the oil splits, add the paste and cook 2 minutes until brick-red and fragrant.
3
Build the pot. Return the beef with coconut milk, charred shallots, fish sauce and palm sugar. Bring to the gentlest simmer.
4
Simmer low. Cover and cook 45 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 20 minutes more until both beef and potatoes yield easily.
5
Finish. Stir through the peanuts, rest 10 minutes off the heat, and adjust salt, sweet and sour to taste.
6
Serve. Ladle over jasmine rice with lime wedges, extra peanuts and coriander.
Kitchen notes
Char with intent
Blackened shallot edges melt into the sauce and add a smoky sweetness raw onion never will.
Better the next day
Like all braises, this curry deepens overnight. Make it ahead and reheat gently.
Balance at the end
Fish sauce for salt, palm sugar for roundness, lime for lift — season in that order.
