Massaman Curry
Mild peanut-coconut beef curry
Ingredients
- 700 g Beef chuck
- 4 tbsp Massaman curry paste
- 2 tin Coconut milk
- 3 Potatoes
- 1 Onion
- 60 g Peanuts
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
- 360 g Jasmine rice
- 1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
- 2 tbsp Palm sugar (optional)
Method
- Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Cube the beef chuck into roughly 3 cm pieces.
- Spoon the thick cream from the top of one tin of coconut milk into a heavy pot over medium heat and simmer until the oil separates out, then fry the massaman paste and cinnamon stick in it until fragrant.
- Add the beef and the rest of the coconut milk and simmer gently over low heat until the beef begins to turn tender.
- While the beef simmers, cube the potatoes and onion into bite-size pieces.
- Add the potato, onion, peanuts, fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind paste and simmer until the potato is tender and the sauce is rich.
- Rest off the heat for a few minutes, then serve with rice.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Massaman Curry
Massaman curry is one of Thailand's richest and most distinctive curries, its warm spicing reflecting historical Muslim and Persian-Indian influence in a way that sets it apart from the herb-driven green and red curries. Where those lean on fresh chili and lime leaf, massaman brings cinnamon, the sweetness of palm sugar, and the sourness of tamarind together with peanuts and coconut milk into something mild, mellow and deeply layered. Braised beef chuck, potatoes and onion make it hearty and almost stew-like, with a sauce that is savory, faintly sweet, and rounded by fish sauce.
The method rewards its ninety minutes. Cracking the thick coconut cream until its oil separates and frying the curry paste and cinnamon in that fat is the traditional first move, coaxing out the paste's fragrance before any liquid goes in, and the beef then simmers gently until it turns tender enough to yield to a spoon. Potatoes and peanuts go in later so they hold their shape and add texture. Best made when you have the afternoon and a crowd to feed, massaman is served with plenty of steamed jasmine rice to soak up its glossy, spice-warmed sauce.
Massaman Curry: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between massaman curry and panang (penang) curry?
Both are rich, mild Thai curries thickened with coconut milk, but massaman is heavily influenced by Muslim/Persian trade routes and is warm-spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and cumin, plus whole peanuts and potatoes, giving it a stew-like, slightly sweet-and-sour character (it's usually made with beef or chicken). Panang is a more purely Thai curry: thicker and drier than most because it uses little added liquid, built on a paste with ground peanuts and dried chilies, finished with kaffir lime leaves, and typically without the potatoes or the aromatic baking spices of massaman. In short, massaman is a soupier, spice-perfumed curry with potatoes and whole peanuts, while panang is a thick, concentrated, peanut-forward curry with a brighter lime-leaf finish.
Where does massaman curry come from?
Massaman is a Thai curry with clear Muslim and Persian/Indian influence, generally traced to Muslim traders (often linked to Persian merchants) who reached the Ayutthaya kingdom of central Thailand in the 17th century; the name itself is widely believed to derive from a word for "Muslim" (from "Mussulman"). Its Indian/Middle Eastern roots show in the use of warm dry spices rare in most Thai cooking, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg and star anise, alongside native Thai ingredients like coconut milk, fish sauce and tamarind. It is traditionally a mild, rich, slightly sweet-and-sour curry, most classically made with beef (and eaten in Thailand's south and central regions), though chicken versions are common today.
How many calories are in Massaman Curry?
A serving has about 973 calories — 33.8g protein, 83.6g carbs, 58g fat, 7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 33.8g of protein, roughly 14% of its calories.
Is Massaman Curry gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Massaman Curry has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Massaman Curry take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 19 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Massaman Curry?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cinnamon stick, palm sugar — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Massaman Curry make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.