Masaman Curry Recipes

MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear beef, flipping once, until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl.
• Remove fat from pot and wipe out any blackened bits. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in sliced onion and curry paste, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water.
• Cut beef into 1-inch chunks; return to pot along with any juices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, 1 hour.
• Remove lid and stir in fish sauce, tamarind mixture, brown sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, peanuts, potatoes, and remaining onion wedges and 1 can coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a simmer and continue to cook, partially covered, until meat and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour more. Check seasoning and add more salt or fish sauce if desired. Serve, with rice, herbs, and cucumber relish.

CHICKEN MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in curry paste and minced ginger; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the cubed chicken, and cook until the pieces turn white on the outside, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, peanut butter, potatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Add the lime juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

BEEF MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 5 mins until golden brown. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Heat 2 tbsp coconut milk (use the cream on top if there is any) in a large casserole dish with a lid. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min, then stir in the beef and fry until well coated and sealed.
• Stir in the rest of the coconut with half a can of water, the potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 2 hrs in the oven until the beef is tender.
• Sprinkle with sliced chilli and the remaining peanuts, then serve straight from the dish with jasmine rice.

MASSAMAN BEEF CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir in curry paste and heat until bubbling. Add beef and coconut milk; cook and stir until beef is browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in potato, onion, fish sauce, lemon juice, chili peppers, lime leaves, and brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes, reduce heat, and simmer until beef is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle peanuts on top.

MASAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Peel and cut up potatoes into big chunks, 1" x 1" x 1".
• Cut up beef and onion into the same size. You can substitute chicken or lamb for beef, if you like.
• Heat coconut milk and masaman curry paste in a pot over medium to low heat and stir. Break up the paste and mix well with coconut milk. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from sticking.
• When you see the red oil bubbling up (about 5 minutes), add the meat and stir to cover the meat with curry. Add half a cup of water or enough to cover all the meat.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except for potatoes, onions and peanuts.
• Stew for 1/2 hour or until beef is getting tender.
• Add potatoes, onions and peanuts.
• Let simmer for 20 minutes more. The liquid should be reduced and you should be able to see some chunks. But, if the liquid is very low, add more water.
• Serve hot with "Cold Cucumber in Vinegar", which is: 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 shallots (thinly sliced), 1 cucumber (quartered and thinly sliced), 1 long hot pepper (sliced), all tossed together, and chilled.
• However, if you're not up for making this quick little salad, just serve over rice, or eat it by itself.

THAI MASAMAN CURRY (KANG MASAMAN)

Steps:

• Put the steak and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
• To make the curry paste: Put the chilies in a pan with the pepper, coriander, cumin, lemon grass, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Cook over low heat until the mixture browns, stirring constantly. Transfer to a mortar and pound to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pound the mixture until smooth.
• Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the coconut cream (coconut milk) to the liquid in the pan and heat gently, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and a little nam pla. Boil the liquid until reduced in volume by one third. Add the prepared curry paste and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Return the meat to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring back to the boil and continue cooking until the meat is very tender. Add the tamarind water with coconut sugar and nam pla to taste. Serve hot. Serves 6.
• NOTE: Tamarind.Also known as asam or assem. An acid flavoured fruit resembling a bean pod. Sold as dried tamarind pulp in blocks and is dark brown in colour. The dried tamarind pulp must be made into tamarind water before using:-Soak about 1 ounce tamarind pulp in 1 1/4 cups water for 5 to 10 minutes, then squeeze, strain and use the water. The longer left to soak, the stronger the flavour.
• Lime, lemon or mango juice or vinegar may be used as substitutes but the flavour of the finished dish but will not be the same. Tamarind paste should be refrigerated once opened, in which case it will keep indefinitely. Both tamarind pulp and tamarind paste are available at Asian stores.
• Terasi.Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysian) Kapi (Thailand) and ngapi (Burma). A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
• Coconut sugar.Also known as palm sugar. Brown sugar may be substituted.
• Nam pla is Thailand fish sauce.
• Lemon grass, fresh lemon grass is available from Asian stores. The lower third of the stalk, the bulb like portion, is the part to use when a recipe specifies 'chopped or sliced lemon grass'. Alternatively, the whole stalk may be bruised and added during cooking, but then it should be removed before serving. Dried lemon grass is a good substitute:--Soak in hot water for about 2 hours before using then remove from the dish before serving. 1 Tablespoon dried lemon grass is roughly equivalent to 1 stalk fresh. Powdered lemon grass is also available.
• The Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking.