The King of Siam's Massaman Curry
Courtesy of Tasting History with Max Miller
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (from cardamom pods*)
- 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 6 to 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon peeled and sliced galangal
- 7 chilies*, dried or fresh, seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
Curry
- 2 pounds (1 kg) chicken thigh or beef, cut into 1 1/2” pieces.
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream*
- 2 cups coconut milk (canned)
- 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- 1 stick cassia cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons (50 g) palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons tamarind juice
- 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 slices of peeled ginger, about 1/8” thick
Directions
- For the curry paste: Put the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, grated coconut, cloves, and cardamom seeds into a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it is fragrant and the coconut is lightly browned. Remove from the pan and let cool.
- Grind the spice mixture into a powder in a spice grinder or very clean coffee grinder, then set aside.
- Remove the seeds from the chilies, wearing gloves if desired to protect hands from the spice. Roughly chop the chilies.
- Add the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and chilies to a dry pan over medium-high and cook, stirring constantly until the ingredients develop a bit of char.
- Add the chilies mixture to a mortar and pestle grind with the shrimp paste. This will take a while and is best done by hand in order to properly release the oils.
- Add the spice mixture and continue to grind until it is as smooth as you can get (it won’t be completely smooth).
- For the curry: Melt the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook until browned and set aside.
- While the chicken cooks, pour the coconut cream into a separate pan over medium heat and simmer until the oil separates out (cracking).
- Once you see oil bubbles on the surface of the cream, it has cracked. Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken, peanuts, and cinnamon stick. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind juice, shallots, and bay leaves. Simmer on low for 1 hour. It will darken as it cooks.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, then take it off the heat and add the ginger.
- Cover and put in the fridge overnight to develop the flavors, or serve it forth right away with rice.
Notes
- Cardamom will typically be white, or Siam, cardamom, but green or black work just fine.
- As this dish isn’t meant to be spicy, don’t use small Thai chilies. Any mild chili will work, just remove the seeds and you’re good to go.
- Be sure to get coconut cream that doesn’t contain any emulsifiers, or this won’t work (the only ingredient should be coconut cream). I used Aroy-D brand, but be sure to read the ingredients list. If this is unavailable to you, you can add some coconut oil to the cream, it just won’t taste quite the same.