Massaman Thai Curry Food

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.

THAI BEEF MASSAMAN CURRY

Steps:

• Trim meat of excess fat and sinew and cut into 2-3cm cubes.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot and fry the onion until brown.
• Add the meat, season and continue to brown all over.
• From top of the coconut milk tin, scoop out the thick cream and add to the pot.
• Add curry paste, lower the heat and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
• Add the water, remaining coconut milk, cinnamon and bay leaves and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the potatoes and cook for another 30 min or until the meat and potatoes are tender. You may need to add a little water as the curry is cooking.
• Season to taste with fish sauce, palm sugar (see TIP) and tamarind paste.
• Garnish with peanuts and coriander and serve with steamed basmati or jasmine rice.
• ---TIP---.
• Shaving palm sugar can be a pain, especially when the sugar is a little dried out. I buy it in discs, so now I just pop a disc in a cup with a little water (about 1 T) and microwave it on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and you will find it dissolves. You can then add this liquid to your curry to taste.

MASSAMAN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Par boil the potatoes, drain and set aside.
• To make the paste, place the peppercorns, cinnamon, cumin and corriander in a frying pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until aromatic.
• Cool the spice mixture, then add it to a food processor, together with the chilli, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, garlic and peanuts. Process until you have a smooth paste.
• Add the oil to a large, heavy based pan, and heat on a medium heat.
• Add the chicken pieces, and cook until browned. You might need to do this in batches.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Still on a medium heat, add the spice mixture and fry gently for about 1 minute.
• Add the coconut milk and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• I like my curry paste super-smooth, so at this stage I remove from heat, cool for a few minutes and then add to a blender, and blend the coconut milk and spice mixture until it's a smooth, creamy mix. Return to the pan. This step is entirely optional.
• Add the sugar to the coconut milk mixture, and cook on medium for a further 3 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan and add in the potatoes, bay leaf, cardamon pods, fish sauce and tamarind.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce and gently simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are cooked.
• Add the extra peanuts 5-10 minutes before finish cooking.
• Serve with steamed rice and/or roti.

THAI MASAMAN CURRY (KANG MASAMAN)

Steps:

• Put the steak and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
• To make the curry paste: Put the chilies in a pan with the pepper, coriander, cumin, lemon grass, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Cook over low heat until the mixture browns, stirring constantly. Transfer to a mortar and pound to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pound the mixture until smooth.
• Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the coconut cream (coconut milk) to the liquid in the pan and heat gently, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and a little nam pla. Boil the liquid until reduced in volume by one third. Add the prepared curry paste and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Return the meat to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring back to the boil and continue cooking until the meat is very tender. Add the tamarind water with coconut sugar and nam pla to taste. Serve hot. Serves 6.
• NOTE: Tamarind.Also known as asam or assem. An acid flavoured fruit resembling a bean pod. Sold as dried tamarind pulp in blocks and is dark brown in colour. The dried tamarind pulp must be made into tamarind water before using:-Soak about 1 ounce tamarind pulp in 1 1/4 cups water for 5 to 10 minutes, then squeeze, strain and use the water. The longer left to soak, the stronger the flavour.
• Lime, lemon or mango juice or vinegar may be used as substitutes but the flavour of the finished dish but will not be the same. Tamarind paste should be refrigerated once opened, in which case it will keep indefinitely. Both tamarind pulp and tamarind paste are available at Asian stores.
• Terasi.Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysian) Kapi (Thailand) and ngapi (Burma). A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
• Coconut sugar.Also known as palm sugar. Brown sugar may be substituted.
• Nam pla is Thailand fish sauce.
• Lemon grass, fresh lemon grass is available from Asian stores. The lower third of the stalk, the bulb like portion, is the part to use when a recipe specifies 'chopped or sliced lemon grass'. Alternatively, the whole stalk may be bruised and added during cooking, but then it should be removed before serving. Dried lemon grass is a good substitute:--Soak in hot water for about 2 hours before using then remove from the dish before serving. 1 Tablespoon dried lemon grass is roughly equivalent to 1 stalk fresh. Powdered lemon grass is also available.
• The Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking.

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.