Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Beef slow-braised in a mild, rich coconut curry with potatoes, peanuts and warm spices. Sweet, sour and savoury, lovely over jasmine rice.
Massaman is the gentle one among Thai curries, carrying Persian and Indian spice notes alongside the coconut. Beef and waxy potatoes braise slowly until the meat gives way and the sauce turns rich with peanuts, tamarind and cinnamon. The flavour leans sweet and sour as much as savoury, with only a quiet hum of heat. Made over a couple of unhurried hours, it rewards patience.
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Prep 20 min
Cook 130 min
Total 150 min
Medium
Scale:
- 85g Peanuts
- 400ml can Coconut Cream
- 4 tbsp Massaman Curry Paste
- 600g stewing cut into strips Beef
- 450g waxy Potatoes
- 1 cut thin wedges Onion
- 4 leaves Lime
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
- 1 tbsp palm or soft light Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 red deseeded and finely sliced, to serve Chilli
- to serve Jasmine Rice
Tags:
Curry
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and roast the peanuts on a tray for 5 minutes until golden, then roughly chop once cool. Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
- Warm 2 tbsp coconut cream in a large lidded casserole, stir in the curry paste and fry for 1 minute, then add the beef and turn it until coated and sealed. Pour in the rest of the coconut cream along with half a can of water, then add the potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts. Bring up to a simmer, cover, and cook in the oven for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
- Scatter over the sliced chilli and remaining peanuts, then bring the dish straight to the table with jasmine rice.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Fry the curry paste in a spoonful of the coconut cream first so its aromatics wake up before anything else goes in.
- Pick a proper stewing cut and keep the heat low; rushing it leaves the beef tough.
- Taste near the end and tweak the tamarind, sugar and fish sauce until none of the three shouts over the others.
- Toasting the peanuts gives them more crunch and a deeper, roastier flavour than using them raw.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really. It sits at the milder, more aromatic end of the Thai range, warm and gently sweet rather than hot. Sliced fresh chilli at the table sorts out anyone wanting more.
Go for chuck or shin. These stewing cuts soften beautifully over the long braise and give the sauce its body and flavour.
Definitely. Like most curries it tastes better the next day once everything has settled. Warm it through gently and scatter on the chilli and peanuts just before serving.
It works well with chicken or lamb, and you can build a vegetable and tofu version too. Just shorten or lengthen the cooking time to suit.
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