Equipment
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 2 g coriander seeds
- 2 g cumin seeds
- 5 green cardamom pods, whole
- 3 cloves, whole
- 1 cinnamon stick, whole
Curry Base
- 400 ml coconut milk, full fat, divided
- 60 g red curry paste
- 120 ml chicken stock
Solids
- 600 g chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 4cm chunks
- 400 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
- 150 g yellow onion, peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 50 g roasted peanuts, unsalted
Seasoning
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 30 ml tamarind concentrate
- 30 g palm sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 884 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 98 g
- Fat
- 45 g
- Fiber
- 36 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 710 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 25 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 142 mg
- Potassium
- 2026 mg
- Calcium
- 511 mg
- Iron
- 16.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 295 mg
- Phosphorus
- 628 mg
- Zinc
- 7.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 29 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 6.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 54 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.47 mg
- Niacin
- 11.0 mg
- Folate
- 44 mcg
- Water
- 219 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry small pan over medium heat until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Let cool slightly, then grind into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add about 100ml of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the coconut oil separates (it will look curdled and shiny).
Add the red curry paste and the ground coriander/cumin spice blend to the cracked coconut cream. Fry, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and becomes very aromatic.
Add the chicken thigh chunks to the pot. Stir well to coat the meat in the curry paste mixture and cook for 2 minutes to sear the outside slightly.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the chicken stock. Add the whole cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, potatoes, onion wedges, and roasted peanuts. Ensure solids are mostly submerged.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of chicken should reach 74°C/165°F).
Stir in the fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, and palm sugar. Simmer for 5 more minutes uncovered to meld flavors. Taste and adjust: it should be a balance of salty, sour, and sweet.
Chef's Notes
- Using Red Curry Paste plus dry spices (cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves) effectively creates a Massaman profile if you cannot find specific Massaman curry paste.
- Cracking the coconut cream (frying it until the oil separates) is a traditional technique that enhances the flavor and color of the curry. If using low-fat milk or homogenized milk that won't separate, simply fry the paste in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil instead.
- The potatoes and chicken should be cut to roughly the same size to ensure they finish cooking at the same time.
- This curry tastes significantly better the next day as the spices have time to permeate the potatoes and meat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Flavors deepen significantly the next day.
Freezer: 1 month — Potatoes may become slightly grainy upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until piping hot. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Curry tastes too sour or too salty
Cause: Imbalance of the three key seasoning agents (fish sauce, tamarind, sugar)
Fix: If too sour, add more sugar. If too salty, add a splash of water and sugar. If too sweet, add more tamarind or lime juice.
Prevention: Add seasoning gradually in the final step, tasting as you go
Cultural Context
Massaman curry (Gaeng Massaman) has Persian and Indian roots, evidenced by the use of dried spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves which are rare in other Thai curries. It originated in Southern Thailand near the border with Malaysia and was historically associated with the Muslim community.
