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Sauces, pastes & condiments · Curry pastes

Massaman curry paste

Rich Thai paste of dried chilli, roasted shallot and garlic with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg for massaman curry.

Also called: massaman paste, matsaman curry paste, prik gaeng matsaman, mussaman curry paste

Around the world: พริกแกงมัสมั่น (th)

A kind of thai curry paste

Make it yourself: Massaman curry paste

What it is

A Thai curry paste with Persian and Indian influence: soaked dried chillies, roasted shallots and garlic, galangal and lemongrass pounded with toasted coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and shrimp paste. It is cooked with coconut milk, potatoes, peanuts and tamarind into a sweet, sour and gently hot curry.

How it’s used

  • Massaman beef, chicken or lamb curry
  • Massaman tofu and sweet potato
  • Marinade for grilled meat

Characteristics

Taste
Warmly spiced, rich and mild-to-medium hot.
Sold as
paste
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning
Common in
Thai

Storage

Refrigerated. Homemade keeps about 10 days chilled, or 3 months frozen.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Crustaceans.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Usually contains shrimp paste (crustaceans).

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
40 kcal
Protein
1.87 g
Carbohydrate
8.81 g
Fat
0.44 g
Fibre
1.5 g
Sugars
5.3 g

USDA FoodData Central: Peppers, hot chili, red, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Thai curry paste — Red paste plus a pinch each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.

Related ingredients

Recipes with massaman curry paste

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More curry pastes