Authentic Thai Beef Massaman Curry Recipe is a Southern curry that is mild yet full of creamy flavors from the Massaman paste. This easy and quick recipe uses only four spices: cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom, and bay leaf. The simplicity makes this recipe a perfect dinner you can put together in less than 30 minutes!
What kind of curry is Massaman?
Massaman curry is a mildly spicy and sweet Thai curry dish. It originates from the South of Thailand, where Malaysian, Indian, and Muslim influences combine for a unique culture. The word “Massaman” derives from the word Muslim, thus giving the curry a well-known name. Though the curry originated from the South, it is made and enjoyed throughout Thailand and worldwide too!
What makes Massaman curry different?
As I’m sure you know, there are countless curries in Thai cuisine. Massaman curry paste, used for making massaman curry, is a little different than the rest because it uses several spices that most other curries do not include. Massaman curry is also one of the least spicy other fiery Thai curries. Massaman curry is rich and creamy from all the aromatic fresh herbs and coconut milk.
What is Massaman curry paste made of?
Massaman curry paste is usually made from several spices and herbs that make the curry extra flavorful. Those spices are coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, chilis, cumin seeds, white or black peppercorns, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and shrimp paste. Toasting the dry spices to extract the natural oils, then combining those with fresh herbs to make a thick, fine paste, makes Massaman curry one of the most fragrant curry pastes in Thai cooking. My easy beef Massaman curry recipe calls for store-bought Massaman curry paste to help you make a quick and easy curry for when you don't have time to make your paste.
What do you eat with Massaman curry?
Massaman curry is typically eaten with cooked Jasmine rice. This beef massaman curry recipe uses potatoes, making it a hearty and rich meal. Sometimes it’s best eaten without rice. That’s how I enjoy it! It’s a lot lighter on my belly when I skip the rice. Try it sometime!
What does Massaman curry taste like?
Thai Massaman curry typically uses potatoes with meat, coconut milk, and coconut cream, making the curry very creamy and lightly flavored. The additional use of herbs and spices, in addition to the Massaman curry paste, gives the curry a rich flavor that is still mild enough for those new to curry dishes. The salty and sweet taste comes from the sugar and salt added to the paste and the actual dish during the cooking process.
Is Massaman curry healthy?
This beef massaman curry recipe is relatively healthy, depending on your definition of what healthy is. (: Thai cuisine is generally healthier than most western food due to the added spices, herbs, vegetables, and minimal sugar. Massman curry calls for coconut milk and sugar for the added creamy sweetness to balance out the salty and spicy taste. Those ingredients are essential in Thai cooking, but it's never excessive. Everything in moderation is key! My recipes call for less sugar than most Thai restaurants in the U.S. but also a bit spicier too! Adjust the spiciness as needed, of course! (:
What are the ingredients I need for this Beef Massaman curry recipe?
Below are all the ingredients to make my Thai beef Massaman curry recipe. Feel free to screenshot or take a photo of this image with you when you go to the Asian market to grab your ingredients.
How to make Thai beef massaman curry
Below are the step-by-step instructions, in photos, on how to make this easy Thai beef massaman curry recipe.
- Dry roast the spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise) until fragrant, 2 mins or less
- Heat a Dutch oven or medium-sized soup pot until warm. Add oil and the Massaman curry paste. Stir the oil and the curry paste together to break up the clumps for 1 minute or less.
- Add the coconut cream and cook until the cream starts to separate 2-3 minutes. Stir a couple of times, but keep a close watch on the paste to not let it burn.
- Add beef and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 3 minutes or until the beef is barely cooked through.
- Add coconut milk, potatoes, onion, and spices, including bay leaf. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir well.
- Add the peanuts, sugar, and fish sauce. Stir well. Also, check to see if the potatoes are tender with a fork. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Lastly, add tamarind sauce, stir well together, and give it a taste to adjust as desired using fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind sauce. Add a small amount first, stir and sample until your taste buds are happy. Enjoy.
More Thai Recipes You'll Love
- Red curry with kabocha squash
- Pad Prik Khing
- Choo Chee Salmon
- Easy yellow curry with potato
- Authentic red curry paste
- Authentic green curry paste
- Authentic yellow curry paste
- Pork belly Phrik Khing
* Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star ?rating in the recipe card below and a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram! **
PrintBeef Massaman Curry Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Authentic Thai Beef Massaman Curry Recipe is a Southern curry that is mild yet full of creamy flavors from the Massaman paste. This easy and quick recipe uses only four spices: cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom, and bay leaf. The simplicity makes this recipe a perfect dinner you can put together in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick (6 inches)
- 3 whole brown cardamom
- 3 whole star anise
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 2.5 tablespoons massaman curry paste. More or less as preferred.
- 1 cup coconut cream.
- 1 14 ounces can of coconut milk.
- 1 pound beef (top round steak, sirloin, or chuck), cut against the grain into 2 inch long pieces.
- 1 medium onion, sliced long and thin, ½ inch wide pieces
- 3 large whole bay leaves
- 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, (15 oz or so). Cubed 1-inch pieces.
- ½ cup peanuts, coarsely ground unsalted peanuts.
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce.
- 1 tablespoon tamarind sauce.
- ⅓ cup water or as needed
Instructions
- Dry roast the spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise) until fragrant, 2 mins or less.
- Heat a dutch oven or medium-sized soup pot until warm. Add oil and the Massaman curry paste. Stir the oil and the curry paste together to break up the clumps for 1 minute or less.
- Add the coconut cream and cook until the cream starts to separate 2-3 minutes. Stir a couple of times, but keep a close watch on the paste to not let it burn. Once you see the bubbles forming, it's ready for the next step.
- Add beef and turn the heat down slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until beef is barely cooked through.
- Add the coconut milk, potatoes, onion, and spices, including bay leaf. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir well.
- Add the peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, and water. Stir well. Also, check to see if the potatoes are tender with a fork. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add tamarind sauce, stir well together, and give it a taste to adjust as desired using fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind sauce. Add a small amount t first, stir and sample until your taste buds are happy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure not to eat the chunks of spices while enjoying the curry. You can also remove them before serving.
- Yukon gold potatoes are best for this recipe. You can try two different things if you use other types of potatoes that are not as tender. Cut the potatoes into smaller sizes to help them cook quicker, or boil them for 5-6 minutes before adding the pieces to the curry.
- For the cut of beef, use chuck roast. The smaller the pieces are cut, the quicker the meat will get cooked.
- You can cook the beef a little bit long if desired, the typical Massaman curries are cooked for a long while to let the meat simmer and soften. This is the faster version.
* Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: curries, Easy Recipes, beef recipe
- Method: stove stop
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: beef Massaman curry recipe, Thai beef Massaman, Massaman curry, Beef massaman, authentic massaman recipe
Suwanee
Thank you so much, Laurie! I'm so delighted to hear this! So glad you gave this a shot, I love spices too, and they just go so well in this recipe. (:
Laurie Reilly
My husband and I order Massaman chicken at restaurants often and I was excited to try to make it myself. The ingredients in this were so different from the other recipes online that I had to try it. I love star anise and cinnamon! I used chicken instead of beef and it was delicious. My husband said it was better than any restaurant! Thanks for all the great recipes. I've also made your wonderful Thai pumpkin curry. Can't wait to try more!
★★★★★
Tom
Hello Suwanee,
great recipe, I will try it. How will the beef be done within approximately 12 minutes? Mostly beef needs like 2hrs or more to become done and soft. What part of beef are you using? Thanks ?
★★★★