Pete's Food Blog

6. Dec, 2021

Thai Massaman curry

Massaman curry paste

Ingredients:

5 small dried hot red chillies

2 chipotle chillies

1 tbl chilli flakes (I used mild Urfa flakes)

2 tbl coriander seeds

1 tbl cumin seeds

1 tbl crushed cardamom seeds

10 whole cloves

5 cm pice of cinnamon stick

2 pieces of mace

3 tbl vegetable oil

200g shallots or onions, roughly chopped

25 g garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste

25 g fresh ginger, grated

2 lemongrass stalks roughly chopped

8 tbl coconut milk

Method:

Toast the dried chillies on a hot, dry pan for 1 - 2 mins.; then transfer them to a spice grinder.

Re-heat the pan and toast the spices, then add them to the grinder.

Grind to a fine powder.

Fry the onions and garlic in the oil over a medium heat until thoroughly browned. Add the shrimp paste and spices and fry for a further 2 minutes stirring all the time to avoid sticking.

Tip into a blender along with the lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk. Blitz into a smooth paste.

Thai Massaman curry

Ingredients:

500 g stewing steak and or pork, cut into 3 cm chunks

600 ml coconut milk

1 teaspoon of crushed cardamom

10 cm cinnamon stick

300 g waxy, small potatoes

8 shallots, halved

1 full quantity of Massaman curry paste (see above)

2 tbl fish sauce

3 tbl tamarind paste

1 tbl palm-(or soft brown-, coconut-) sugar

75 g roasted peanuts

Method:

Using just 350 ml of the coconut milk and 350 ml of water, bring to the boil the meat, cardamom, cinnamon, plus 1 tsp salt. Simmer gently for 2 hrs with a lid partially on the pan.

Cut the peeled potatoes into 2,5 cm pieces.

Uncover the curry, remove the cinnamon and add all the remaining ingredients (including the coconut milk) except for the peanuts. Simmer for 30 mins or until the potatoes and meat are tender.

Stir in the nuts before serving.