Masaman Curry Food

MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and then the coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook over low heat until they are almost tender, about 12 minutes.
• 2. Add the chicken to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanuts, tomatoes, cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat off, cover, and let steam until the chicken is just done, about 2 minutes longer.
• Menu Suggestion: For this curry, steamed white rice is the only accompaniment you need.
• Wine Recommendation: For this bold curry, bursting with heat, spice, and sweetness, a fresh, aromatic white that won't get pushed around--a chenin blanc from the Loire Valley in France or from California, for example, or a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand--is a good match.

BEEF MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 5 mins until golden brown. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Heat 2 tbsp coconut milk (use the cream on top if there is any) in a large casserole dish with a lid. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min, then stir in the beef and fry until well coated and sealed.
• Stir in the rest of the coconut with half a can of water, the potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 2 hrs in the oven until the beef is tender.
• Sprinkle with sliced chilli and the remaining peanuts, then serve straight from the dish with jasmine rice.

CHICKEN MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Dry-toast the chiles de arbol and guajillo chiles in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly blackened in spots, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with hot water; let sit for 20 minutes to soften. Drain.
• Meanwhile, add the shrimp paste foil packet and the coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon to the skillet. Toast the shrimp paste (in the foil), about 1 minute per side and stir to toast the spices until golden brown in spots and very fragrant, about 2 minutes total. Remove the foil packet and transfer the spices to a bowl. When completely cool, remove the shrimp paste from the foil and discard the foil. Grind the spices into a powder in a spice grinder.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the lemongrass, galangal, garlic, cilantro roots and shallot and toast until blackened in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the drained chiles, toasted shrimp paste, ground spices, nutmeg and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse and scrape down the food processor multiple times until you have a fine paste.
• Place the curry paste and 1/2 cup coconut milk in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. As the mixture cooks down, stir more frequently, scraping the bottom, until the oil separates and the paste sticks aggressively to the pan, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons tamarind, the tablespoon fish sauce and tablespoon palm sugar and cook, stirring, a few seconds. Add the chicken thighs and turn in the curry paste to coat. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the peanuts, bay leaves, star anise, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water.
• Simmer gently, partially covered, until the chicken is almost cooked through and the liquid has reduced slightly, 40 minutes. Tuck in the potatoes and onion, making sure the potatoes are submerged in the liquid. Simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 more minutes. Add 2 more tablespoons of tamarind. Taste and adjust with more tamarind, fish sauce, sugar and salt, if necessary. There might be a layer of bright orange oil on top. Feel free to skim some of it off, but it is traditional to leave some oil in the curry.
• Serve with the steamed jasmine rice.

SHORTCUT CHICKEN MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Combine the curry paste and 2 tablespoons coconut milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring and scraping the mixture until it sticks to the pan and starts to brown, 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce and stir for a few seconds, then add the potatoes, peanuts, bay leaf, lemongrass, onion, the rest of the coconut milk, 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together the sliced chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and let sit at room temperature. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer gently until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and lemongrass. Serve with the rice.

MASAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Peel and cut up potatoes into big chunks, 1" x 1" x 1".
• Cut up beef and onion into the same size. You can substitute chicken or lamb for beef, if you like.
• Heat coconut milk and masaman curry paste in a pot over medium to low heat and stir. Break up the paste and mix well with coconut milk. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from sticking.
• When you see the red oil bubbling up (about 5 minutes), add the meat and stir to cover the meat with curry. Add half a cup of water or enough to cover all the meat.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except for potatoes, onions and peanuts.
• Stew for 1/2 hour or until beef is getting tender.
• Add potatoes, onions and peanuts.
• Let simmer for 20 minutes more. The liquid should be reduced and you should be able to see some chunks. But, if the liquid is very low, add more water.
• Serve hot with "Cold Cucumber in Vinegar", which is: 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 shallots (thinly sliced), 1 cucumber (quartered and thinly sliced), 1 long hot pepper (sliced), all tossed together, and chilled.
• However, if you're not up for making this quick little salad, just serve over rice, or eat it by itself.

MASSAMAN THAI CURRY

Steps:

• In a large deep frying pan, gently heat the coconut milk with the curry paste and bring to the boil. For a milder curry use 1-2 tsp, for a hotter curry use more.
• Add the diced chicken breast, cubed potatoes and peanuts and simmer until the potato is soft and the chicken cooked. If using prawns, add these for the last 5 minutes of cooking or they will shrink.
• Add a splash of thai fish sauce for an authentic flavour and serve with basmati rice.

MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear beef, flipping once, until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl.
• Remove fat from pot and wipe out any blackened bits. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in sliced onion and curry paste, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water.
• Cut beef into 1-inch chunks; return to pot along with any juices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, 1 hour.
• Remove lid and stir in fish sauce, tamarind mixture, brown sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, peanuts, potatoes, and remaining onion wedges and 1 can coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a simmer and continue to cook, partially covered, until meat and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour more. Check seasoning and add more salt or fish sauce if desired. Serve, with rice, herbs, and cucumber relish.