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Thai

Massaman curry with beef

Non-vegetarian

แกงมัสมั่น · kaeng matsaman

A mild, rich Thai curry of slow-braised beef, potatoes and peanuts in coconut milk, scented with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and balanced with tamarind and palm sugar.

Massaman curry with beef is a Thai curry from Thailand, ready in about 2 hours 55 minutes and made with dried whole chillies, beef chuck and coconut milk. It serves 5 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
35 min
Cook
2 h 20 min
Total
2 h 55 min
Serves
5
Level
Intermediate
Calories
741

Ingredients

5 servings

For the curry paste

For the curry

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toast the coriander, cumin (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) seeds and cloves (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind to a powder. Pound the drained chillies with the salt, then add the lemongrass (opens in a new tab), galangal (opens in a new tab), shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) and pound to a paste. Work in the ground spices, nutmeg (opens in a new tab), white pepper (opens in a new tab) and shrimp paste (opens in a new tab).

    A small blender with a splash of the chilli soaking water is fine.

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

  2. Step 2

    Put the beef in a heavy pot with one can of coconut milk (opens in a new tab), the water, cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and bay leaves (opens in a new tab). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently until the beef is almost tender.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, spoon the thick cream from the top of the second can into a frying pan with the oil and cook until it bubbles and the oil separates. Fry the paste in it, stirring, until deep red and fragrant.

    • 6 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir the fried paste and the rest of the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) into the beef. Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab) and peanuts and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

    • 30 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Season with tamarind, fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and palm sugar (opens in a new tab): it should taste sweet, salty and gently sour in balance. Serve with jasmine rice (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Thailand · Commonly attributedA Thai curry whose warm dry spices are usually linked to Muslim trading communities; the details of its history are debated.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, AustraliaMore food from Thailand
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Braised, Simmered
    Taste
    rich, aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet & savoury, nutty
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein
    With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
    Cook more with
    Dried whole chillies · Beef chuck · Coconut milk · Shallot · Garlic · Lemongrass
    Techniques
    Simmering · Braising · Bhunao · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Dry grinding

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
    • Contains: Crustaceansfrom shrimp paste, fish sauce
    • Contains: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts

    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

    741 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 531 g · recipe makes 5

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 21%
    • Carbohydrate 22%
    • Fat 58%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy741 kcal139 kcal
    Protein40.6 g7.6 g
    Carbohydrate42.2 g7.9 g
    Net carbohydrate——
    Sugars——
    Added sugars5.2 g1 g
    Fibre——
    Fat49.9 g9.4 g
    Saturated fat34.1 g6.4 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol90 mg17 mg
    Sodium1244 mg234 mg
    Salt equivalent3.1 g0.6 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    1601 mg
    Calcium
    126 mg
    Iron
    11 mg
    Magnesium
    184 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    37 µg
    Vitamin C
    23 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    3.3 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    71 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: long-grain white rice.
    • 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.
    • Shrimp paste: Fish sauce (FDC 174531) at 1.5× as a stand-in salted fermented seafood condiment; protein is understated.
    • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
    • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
    • “—” 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

    • Short on time? Replace the homemade paste with 4–5 tablespoons of store-bought massaman paste.
    • Like most braises it tastes even better the next day.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the potatoes at the start — they collapse long before the beef is tender.

    Serve with

    • Serve with jasmine rice and a sharp cucumber relish (ajad) to cut the richness.

    Food safety

    • Simmer the beef until fork-tender; cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze (without potatoes ideally) for up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water.

    Variations

    • Chicken massaman: Use bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks and simmer for about 40 minutes.

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

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 5

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    • Curry paste

      Massaman curry paste

      This recipe makes it as part of the method (172 g for 5 servings). The full masala recipe explains each step in detail.

      Make Massaman curry paste

    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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