Massaman Curry Recipe

(Kaeng Massaman Recipe)

Ingredients: Serves 4

3 tablespoons massaman curry paste (refer below)

450g beef, chicken or pork

600g grated coconut or 3 cups coconut milk

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

8 peeled small onions

5 small potatoes, peeled and boiled

3 bay leaves

5 roasted cardamom pods

1 piece of roasted cinnamon, 1 cm long

2 tablespoons palm sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons tamarind juice

3 tablespoon lemon juice

Ingredients for Massaman Curry Paste:

3 dried chilies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and de-seeded

3 tablespoons chopped shallots

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped galangal

1¼ tablespoons chopped lemon grass (use only the bottom white tender part)

2 cloves

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 peppercorns

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

To prepare the curry paste, in a wok over low heat put the shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, cloves coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder. Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to mix well. Add the shallot-garlic-galangal-lemon grass-clove-coriander seed-cumin seeds mixture and the shrimp paste and blend again to obtain ½ cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months. To cook the curry, cut the beef, chicken or pork into 2 inch chunks. Add 1½ cups warm water to the coconut and squeeze out 3 cups coconut milk. Skim off 1 cup coconut cream to be used in cooking the curry paste. Place the remaining coconut milk in a pot with the chicken, pork or beef and simmer until tender. (If beef is used, 2 additional cups of coconut milk will be needed because of the longer cooking time required). Heat the coconut cream in a wok until oil appears on surface; then, add the curry paste and cook until fragrant. Spoon this mixture into the pot containing the meat and add the peanuts. Taste and adjust the flavor so it is sweet, salty and sour by adding sugar, fish sauce, tamarind juice and lemon juice. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, potatoes and onions. Simmer until tender. Serve with pickled ginger or cucumber relish.