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Thai

Massaman curry paste

Non-vegetarian

พริกแกงมัสมั่น · phrik kaeng matsaman

A deep, aromatic Thai paste of soaked dried chillies, roasted shallots and garlic, galangal and lemongrass pounded with dry-roasted coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace. The Persian- and Indian-influenced spices make it the warmest of the Thai curry pastes.

Massaman curry paste is a Thai condiment from Thailand, ready in about 50 minutes and made with dried whole chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. It serves 7 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
10 min
Total
50 min
Serves
7
Level
Intermediate
Calories
23

Ingredients

7 tablespoons (about 15 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the deseeded chillies in just-boiled water for 15 minutes; squeeze dry and chop.

    • 15 min

    Food safety: Wear gloves or wash your hands well after handling chillies, and keep them away from your eyes.

  2. Step 2

    Roast the unpeeled shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, turning, until charred in patches and soft. Add the galangal (opens in a new tab) and lemongrass (opens in a new tab) for the last 2–3 minutes until fragrant and lightly coloured. Peel the shallots and garlic.

  3. Step 3

    Lower the heat to medium-low. Roast the coriander for 2 minutes, then add the cumin, cardamom (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab), cinnamon, mace (opens in a new tab) and white peppercorns for 1 minute more, until fragrant and a shade darker. Toast the foil-wrapped shrimp paste (opens in a new tab) alongside.

    Food safety: Toast shrimp paste wrapped in foil with the fan on — it is pungent — and note that it makes the paste unsuitable for anyone with a shellfish allergy.

  4. Step 4

    Tip the spices onto a cold plate and let them cool completely, about 10 minutes, before grinding — warm spices release oil and turn pasty in the grinder. Pick the seeds from the cardamom pods (opens in a new tab), then grind the dry spices to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar and stir in the nutmeg (opens in a new tab).

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Pound the chillies with the salt to a mush, then add the galangal (opens in a new tab) and lemongrass (opens in a new tab), then the shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab), pounding until smooth. Work in the ground spices and shrimp paste (opens in a new tab). (Or blend with 1–2 tbsp water in a food processor (opens in a new tab).)

  6. Step 6

    Jar and chill. Fry 3–4 tbsp in cracked coconut cream until the oil separates and turns red, about 5 minutes, before adding the meat.

About this dish

Origin
Central and southern Thailand, Thailand · Commonly attributedMassaman is usually linked to Persian and Muslim traders at the Ayutthaya court; the dry spices are the giveaway. Proportions follow widely published traditional versions.Also popular in Malaysia, United Kingdom, AustraliaMore food from Thailand
Dish
Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Roasted, Toasted
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, rich, spicy (chilli heat), sweet & savoury
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Dried whole chillies · Coriander seeds · Cumin seeds · Shallot · Garlic · Galangal
Techniques
Roasting · Toasting · Bhunao · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Dry grinding

Allergens

  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom shrimp paste

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

23 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 16 g · recipe makes 7

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 70%
  • Fat 17%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy23 kcal146 kcal
Protein0.9 g5.6 g
Carbohydrate4.7 g29.9 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat0.5 g3 g
Saturated fat0.1 g0.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium254 mg1614 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
120 mg
Calcium
22 mg
Iron
0.9 mg
Magnesium
12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
22 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
6 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Galangal: Fresh ginger used as a stand-in: no galangal entry in FDC SR Legacy, and galangal is a closely related rhizome used in similar small amounts.
  • Mace: Nutmeg (FDC 171326) used as a stand-in; mace is the aril of the same seed.
  • Shrimp paste: Fish sauce (FDC 174531) at 1.5× as a stand-in salted fermented seafood condiment; protein is understated.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Keep the dry spices restrained — massaman should taste warm and rounded, not like a garam masala.

Common mistakes

  • Over-roasting the cardamom and cloves, which turns them medicinal and bitter.

Serve with

  • Massaman beef or chicken curry with potatoes and peanuts, massaman lamb shanks, and massaman tofu with sweet potato.

Food safety

  • Toast shrimp paste wrapped in foil with the fan on — it is pungent — and note that it makes the paste unsuitable for anyone with a shellfish allergy.
  • Keep refrigerated.

Storage

  • Pack into a clean jar, press cling film onto the surface or cover with a thin layer of oil, and refrigerate; or freeze in tablespoon portions in an ice-cube tray and bag them. Keeps about 10 days in the fridge and 3 months frozen.

Variations

  • Southern Thai massaman: Some southern Muslim cooks add a little star anise and use more cumin, with the curry soured by tamarind rather than lime.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

About this masala

Type
Curry paste
Texture
Smooth paste
One batch makes
about 110 g
Keeps
10 days
Store
Covered, in the fridge
Recipe
Traditional

Central and southern Thailand. Makes Massaman curry paste, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in steps 1, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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