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Chicken Massaman Curry

Course Dinner
Cuisine Thai
Keyword Chicken, Curry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Curry Paste

  • 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 cardamon pods
  • 0.5 nutmeg grated
  • 3 tbsp red curry paste

Curry

  • 8 shallots
  • 6 chicken thighs bone in
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamon pods lightly crushed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 sticks lemongrass
  • 800 ml coconut milk
  • 4 potatoes waxy, peeled and cut into halves or quarters
  • 180 ml coconut cream
  • palm sugar
  • fish sauce
  • tamarind paste
  • 30 g roasted peanuts

Instructions

  • To make the paste, toast the dry spices in a hot wok or frying pan for a couple of minutes until aromatic, then allow to cool slightly before grinding to a powder. Add the spice mix to the red curry paste and set aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a large frying pan generously with neutral oil and put on to a high heat. Fry the shallots until beginning to turn golden, then set aside. Season the chicken with salt, then fry in batches until golden brown but not cooked through.
  • Put the chicken in a saucepan or casserole dish just large enough to hold it comfortably in several layers and tuck the shallots, cinnamon stick, cardamom and the ends and husks of the lemongrass in among it. Scooping out any cream at the top, pour over just enough coconut milk to almost but not quite cover it. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling, lightly salted water until just tender then set aside.
  • Once the chicken is almost cooked, put the coconut cream, plus any extra from the milk, in a frying pan over a fairly high heat. Fry until the fat begins to seep out of the sides, then add the curry paste. Cook until it sizzles and begins to darken.
  • Stir in just enough of the coconut milk from the chicken to make a medium thick gravy and then add sugar, fish sauce and tamarind to taste, starting with a tablespoon of each. Add the cooked potatoes, chicken and peanuts (you can make it ahead up to this point) before cooking for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving with rice.