Massaman Curry is a slightly sweet and lightly tangy mild Thai curry made by simmering meat, potatoes, and vegetables in a mixture of coconut milk and fragrant curry paste. It’s thick and creamy, richly aromatic, and oh-so-wonderful!
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A Massaman curry recipe for the home cook.
To make this an easy Massaman curry recipe, I chose to doctor up more widely available Thai red curry paste with the warm spices that make Massaman curry unique, rather than calling for hard-to-find Massaman curry paste.
For add-ins, I kept the traditional potatoes, added carrots, and opted for chicken as the protein. But feel free to add other veggies like green beans or baby corn or swap out the chicken for chickpeas or tofu. This is a recipe you can feel free to make your own.
Bonus: Thai Massaman curry is one of those glorious dishes that tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge. All those flavors have time to mix and mingle, making your curry extra tasty!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the blog post below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Chicken Thighs. Tender, juicy chicken thighs work beautifully in Massaman curry. You can also use chicken breasts in this recipe.
- Thai Red Curry Paste. This ingredient is key to the deep, rich flavor of the Massaman curry. It’s a flavor powerhouse that can’t be substituted.
- Coconut Milk. To achieve the ideal consistency without being too heavy, we’re using a combination of full-fat coconut milk and light coconut milk. If you prefer a richer curry, you can use entirely full fat.
- Potatoes. As this Potato Curry demonstrates, potatoes are fabulous in curry recipes, because the chunks become creamy and absorb the curry flavor. Don’t skip them.
- Fish Sauce. Bold umami goodness. The fish sauce really boosts the overall flavor of the curry (and does not taste like fish!). It’s widely available, and if you want to cook Thai food, it’s a necessary purchase.
- Peanut Butter. Adds rich peanut flavor to the curry and helps make it thick and creamy.
5 Star Review
“Wonderful recipe and super simple! Perfect fall flavors for a dreary cold October day. Thank you!”
— Julie —
How to Make Massaman Curry
Bloom the Spices. Heat the curry paste with the aromatics and spices. Don’t rush this part! This step makes them more fragrant and flavorful. It really makes the difference between a stellar curry and one that’s ho-hum. After 2 to 3 minutes, stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter.
Add the Carrots and Potatoes. Or any other veggies you choose. Make sure they’re all cut to roughly the same size. This ensures that they’ll all be done cooking at the same time. You don’t want some tender potatoes and some that are hard and raw tasting!
Add the Chicken. Simmer until it’s cooked through.
Finish. Remove the pot from the heat, then zest and juice the lime into it. Serve over rice with chopped peanuts and cilantro. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Massaman Curry
- Rice. For a traditional pairing, serve your Massaman curry with brown rice or white rice. Or free up room on your stovetop and make Instant Pot Brown Rice instead!
- Other Grains. In the mood for something different? Quinoa also works, as does farro.
- Salads. Round out your meal with Asian Cucumber Salad or Asian Cabbage Salad.
Massaman Curry
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil grapeseed oil, or similar neutral cooking oil
- 1 (4-ounce) jar Thai red curry paste
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk do not use light or your broth will be too thin
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk or full-fat for a richer curry
- 1 pound Yukon Gold or baby yellow potatoes scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch chunks
- 3 medium carrots scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch coins
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small lime zest and juice (about 1 ½ tablespoons juice)
- ⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts roughly chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Prepared brown rice for serving (see Instant Pot Brown Rice for an easy method)
Instructions
- Measure and prep all of your ingredients and keep them near the stove (measure the spices into a bowl, open the coconut milk, chop the veggies, etc). In a Dutch oven or similar large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once it is hot and shimmering, add curry paste, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and the spices smell ultra fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the full-fat and light coconut milk, potatoes, carrots, fish sauce, peanut butter, and salt. If needed, use a whisk to blend everything together until smooth.
- Bring to simmer. Cook until potatoes and carrots are barely tender, stirring periodically, about 12 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken. Continue simmering, stirring periodically, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
- Remove from the heat. Zest the lime directly into the pot, then squeeze in the juice. Serve over cooked rice with a generous sprinkle of chopped peanuts and cilantro.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate curry in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze curry in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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I’m so glad I used half of the red thai curry paste and omitted the extra garlic in the recipe, (the 2nd ingredient in the paste is garlic) because it was flaming hot and almost ruined my curry! I had a 3.5 oz bottle, and had i used the entire thing, it would’ve been inedible.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Berta. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too! Could you please tell us what brand you used that is a 3.5oz bottle? Thank you!