Meat and Potatoes

I don’t know the origins of massaman curry, but it seems to be part Thai, part Indian. The paste contains typical Thai ingredients, such as lemon grass and galangal. Cardamom, cloves and cinnamon are the Indian influences. Most often the curry is made with beef, but lamb makes it extra special because the flavor of the meat pairs so well with the Indian spices.

This recipe was adapted from my favorite Thai cookbook.

Massaman Curry with Lamb

• 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 5 cloves
• 2 tbs massaman curry paste (recipe follows, but store bought is also okay)
• 1 ¾ lamb meat for stewing, cubed
• 19oz can coconut milk (not lowfat)
• 2 cups beef (or lamb) stock
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 knob of ginger (about the size of an adult thumb), grated with juices
• 3 tbs fish sauce
• 2-3 tbs brown sugar
• 3 tbs tamarind puree (explained in this post)
• about 2/3 cup roasted peanuts

In a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, use about 1 tbs oil to brown the meat (be sure to season with salt). Remove and set aside. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add another tbs oil and fry cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves until fragrant. Add the curry paste, and ginger. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the paste from burning. Gently fry the paste for about 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, put about 2/3 cup of the coconut cream and cook it until it separates (it will start to pop, but put the lid on until it settles down). Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent burning. Allow it to reduce for about 5-10 minutes, then add the fried paste and spices. Cook the paste for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind puree, stock and meat (with juices). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. The meat will require about 1 to 1.5 hours to cook. About 30 minutes before the meat is tender, add the potatoes and peanuts. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender (and hopefully the meat will also be done). Don’t overcook the potatoes or you might get mashed potato curry.

Allow the curry to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving with jasmine rice. The flavor should be slightly sweet and slightly sour. Season with fish sauce to taste. I also like to sprinkle a few more peanuts on top. This curry is even better the day after.

Massaman Curry Paste

• 2 dried long red chillies (fresh is okay too), seeded
• 1 stalk lemon grass, whites only, finely sliced
• 5 cloves
• knob of galangal (about the size of an adult thumb)
• 3 2-inch cinnamon sticks
• seeds from 6 cardamom pods
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 Asian shallots (or 1 regular shallot), roughly chopped
• 5 cilantro roots (or a bunch of stems)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste

Put everything, except the cinnamon sticks, into a food processor. Add about ¼ to 1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil, and puree until you get a uniform mixture. There should be enough paste for 3 portions (about 2-3 tbs each). I normally freeze down the portions with 1 cinnamon stick each. Of course you could just add the cinnamon sticks to the processor when you puree, but if it doesn’t get finely processed, you’ll have cinnamon shards in your curry (feels like tree bark in your food). Yes, you could use pre-ground cinnamon, but make sure it’s fairly fresh and not the stuff from Thanksgiving two or three years ago. I guestimate ½ to 1 tsp is sufficient. The paste can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.