Beef Massaman Curry
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: October 18, 2019
Beef Massaman Curry blends together meltingly tender beef in a mild, silky and fragrant coconut sauce. With layers of flavour seemingly never ending, Massaman curry delivers on everything beloved in Thai cuisine. This one’s a winner folks!
The Beef Massaman Curry is one of the tastiest Thai curries on the menu. For those who favour a milder curry this is your Thai choice - favouring fragrance over spice Massaman has a heat, but nothing too fiery.
It's creamy, and sweet and warming without the challenging hit of spice. It uses unusual spices for Thai food, which may link back to its Persian and Indian roots as the word Massaman derives from the word Muslim. Warming spices like cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg lend their fragrance to the sauce making it a unique fusion of Asian cuisines.
What is Massaman?
The term "Massaman" doesn't have a direct translation in English, but it is believed to have originated from the word "Mussulman," which means "Muslim" in Thai. This suggests that the dish might have been influenced by Muslim traders or immigrants to Thailand.
The curry itself is characterised by a blend of local and Muslim flavours, making it distinct from other Thai curries. It typically features a rich and creamy sauce made with coconut milk, combined with a blend of spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, along with ingredients like peanuts, potatoes, onions, and meat or protein of choice. The result is a flavourful and aromatic dish with a slightly sweet and mildly spicy taste.
Why it works?
It's comfort food, Thai-style. This literally brings the best of both worlds in that Massaman feels like an Indian curry with Thai flavours - warming spices with fresh fragrance - along with a mountain of jasmine rice, this is my idea of comfort food.
Stuff You'll Need
There are some pretty decent pre-blended massaman curry pastes out there which you could explore, and I do on occasion go down that route. But making your own paste from scratch is very easy and satisfying, delivering the best and most authentic results. Here's what you'll need to source.
- Massaman Curry Paste - is a combination of cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper, salt, peanuts, thai chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and coriander stalks.
- Beef - use chuck steak (I like to choose some that has a little marbled fat to ensure a juicy result).
- Coconut Milk - brings the sweet and silky creaminess to the massaman. There are two whole cans. Buy the most expensive as you generally get what you pay for, My favourite brands are Ayam or Aroy-D. You can also use powdered coconut milk - the results are just as good.
- Fish Sauce - adds a hit of umami saltiness synonymous with Thai cuisine - you can omit this and use a heaped teaspoon of Thai shrimp paste in the curry paste instead if you like.
- Potatoes - used to pad out the sauce and give a creamy counter to the soft meat they're traditional to the recipe and I never leave them out. They're almost my favourite part.
Step by Step
Making this curry is not as difficult as you might imagine. Here's how the whole thing comes together.
- Step 1 - Create the curry powder - dry roast in a pan the cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves until they begin to dance around the pan.
- Step 2 - Remove and grind into a fine powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Then mix in the ground spices; paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper and salt, then set aside.
- Step 3 - Fry the peanuts in a little oil until browned then drain on paper towels and leave to cool.
- Step 4 - Using a stick blender, food processor or pestle & mortar, grind the cooled peanuts, chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and coriander into a paste.
- Step 5 - Add the curry powder and stir to incorporate, adding a little of the coconut milk if it becomes too thick.
- Step 6 - Drizzle the fish sauce over the beef and toss to coat. In a large pan over medium heat, warm the peanut oil then brown the beef for a few minutes.
- Step 7 - Add the massaman paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in half of one can of coconut milk and bring to a boil.
- Step 8 - Simmer for 4-5 minutes until everything is reduced, and the oil separates a little.
- Step 9 - Add the remaining coconut milk and water. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer the curry gently, partially covered, for 1½-2 hours until the meat is soft.
- Step 10 - Add the potatoes and cook for another 35 minutes or until they're soft. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Pro Tips
- Make the paste and freeze it. Given that massaman curry paste is fairly labour intensive, it makes sense to make some in bulk and freeze it. I freeze mine in small zip-lock bags that I flatten out and seal. They're easier to store flat and they defrost in minutes.
- Make in advance. Any curry tastes better if it's had a day in the fridge, but Massaman just transforms! If you can bear it, make yours a day in advance and keep it refrigerated. Heat gently until piping hot and taste the difference!
Serving & Storage Suggestions
To serve Massaman beef, you typically plate it alongside Jasmine rice and garnish it with fresh cilantro leaves. You can also add some sliced red chillies for extra heat. Additionally, serving Massaman beef with some lime wedges on the side can add a refreshing citrusy touch to the dish.
- Fridge - Store the Massaman curry in the refrigerator (in airtight containers) for up to 5-6 days. Reheat on the stove or in a microwave until piping hot.
- Freezer - Massaman curry can typically be stored in the freezer for up to 3+ months. When ready to use, thaw the curry overnight in the fridge before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. You CAN reheat from frozen, but I've found this can impact the potatoes a little and they can fall apart. It's not going to kill the flavour, but something to consider.
Ready to get cooking?
Massaman is one of the most luxuriant of Thai curries and quite unique in Thai cuisine. It's a rich, heady and flavourful curry that although mild in chilli heat is intense in warming, earthy spice. It's the perfect combination of flavours and textures and one of my all time favourite curries! I hope you enjoy making yours at home.
More tasty Thai recipes
If you liked this Massaman beef curry, I'm sure you'll love some more of my favourite Thai recipes.
- Thai Red Curry Chicken
- Thai Omelette (Kai Jeow)
- Satay Chicken Curry
- Pad Prik King
- Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)
- Thai-Style Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
- Thai Crying Tiger Beef with Nam Jim Jaew Sauce
- Chicken Larb (Larb Gai)
- Thai Curry Noodle Soup with Salmon
- Yellow Curry with Minced Pork - WINNER!
- Panang Chicken Curry
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Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- ½ cup peanuts (unsalted)
- 3 Thai chillies
- 5 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 lemongrass stalk (white part only, sliced)
- 2 shallots (peeled)
- 3 cm piece of fresh galangal (sliced)
- 1 tbsp cilantro stems (chopped - keep the leaves for garnish)
Dry ingredients
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the curry
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 2.2 lb beef chuck (cut into chunks) (1kg)
- 2 cans coconut milk (2 x 14oz/400ml cans)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3-4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into pieces)
Instructions
For the curry
- Create the spice powder first. Heat a frying pan and add the cardamom, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves.
- Dry fry for 1-2 minutes until the cumin starts to pop and jump around. Remove and add to a spice grinder or pestle & mortar. Grind the spices into a fine powder then stir in the paprika, nutmeg, turmeric, white pepper and salt. Set aside.
- Add peanut oil to the pan and fry the peanuts for 1-2 minutes until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels to cool.
- Using a stick blender or food processor or pestle & mortar, grind the cooled peanuts, chillies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal and cilantro into a paste. Add the powder and blend again to incorporate, adding a little water if it becomes too thick.
- Pour the fish sauce over the beef and toss to combine. In a large pan over a medium heat, heat the peanut oil and then add the beef to the pan to fry for 4-5 minutes to brown. Add the paste and stir well to combine.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes before adding 1/2 can coconut milk. Now turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking until the sauce is almost gone. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cans of coconut milk and 1 can full of water and again, bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the curry for 1½-2 hours, partially covered until the beef is soft. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 35 minutes until they're cooked through. Remove from the heat.
- Serve with lots of fluffy jasmine rice. I like to garnish my curry with a few cilantro leaves and a few crunchy chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Massaman beef is best enjoyed with fragrant Jasmine rice, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves. For extra heat, add sliced red chilies, and for a refreshing citrusy balance, serve with lime wedges on the side.
- Refrigeration – Store Massaman curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5–6 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until thoroughly heated.
- Freezing – This curry freezes well for up to 3+ months. For best results, thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove or in the microwave. While you can reheat it straight from frozen, keep in mind that the potatoes may break apart slightly—this won’t affect the flavour, but it’s something to consider.
- Prep & Freeze the Paste – Since Massaman curry paste takes some effort to make, consider making it in bulk and freezing it for convenience. Flattening it in small zip-lock bags makes storage easy and allows for quick defrosting in just minutes.
- Make It Ahead – Like most curries, Massaman tastes even better after a day in the fridge, but this one truly transforms! If possible, prepare it a day in advance, refrigerate, and gently reheat until piping hot for an even richer flavour.
How many people does this recipe serve
The recipe serves 4, but you can use the little drop down arrow in the recipe description up or down for how many you need and it will adjust the ingredients too.
Thanks
Lee
Your recipe
Says add the paprika but there’s no paprika in ingredients. How much paprika???
Thanks for spotting and letting me know! It’s 1tsp of paprika.
Lee
Do you think i can do this in a slow cooker? Was thinking about just chucking it all in at the same time and then leaving it to cook for the day. Is that a bad idea?
Its perfect for a slow cooker… The only thing I would leave out are the potatoes. If you slow cook them in the curry they’ll make it too starchy and they’ll end up mushy. Just add some pre cooked potatoes right at the end.
You’ve made me want to eat an entire pan of this now… Thank you!
I did it, amazing! Totally delicious. I made rotis to go with it. Thanks Lee!
Splendid!
I have been given a tip off of where to buy a good, cheap slow cooker (ALDI), so I am off to buy one tomorrow – I think I’ll christen it with this curry. Glad you liked.
L