Massaman Beef Curry
Southern Thailand's mellow, warmly spiced curry: beef braised in coconut milk with massaman paste, cinnamon and cardamom until tender, with potatoes, shallots and roasted peanuts, balanced with tamarind and palm sugar.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Start cooking the beef
Put the beef in a heavy pot with one can of coconut milk and the water. Bring to a gentle bubble over medium-low heat, then cover and cook on low heat for about 1½ hours.
- 800g beef
- 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
- 200ml water
✅ Done when: beef is starting to feel tender when pierced with a fork
Fry the curry paste
Spoon the thick cream from the top of the second can into a wok over medium heat and boil, stirring, until it looks oily. Add the and fry, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- about 100ml (thick cream from top of second can) coconut milk
- 4 tbsp
✅ Done when: paste is darker and smells strongly fragrant
Combine
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Add potatoes and shallots
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Balance
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Serve
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Start cooking the beef
Put the beef in a heavy pot with one can of coconut milk and the water. Bring to a gentle bubble over medium-low heat, then cover and cook on low heat for about 1½ hours.
- 800g beef
- 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
- 200ml water
✅ Done when: beef is starting to feel tender when pierced with a fork
Fry the curry paste
Spoon the thick cream from the top of the second can into a wok over medium heat and boil, stirring, until it looks oily. Add the and fry, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- about 100ml (thick cream from top of second can) coconut milk
- 4 tbsp
✅ Done when: paste is darker and smells strongly fragrant
Combine
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Add potatoes and shallots
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Balance
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Massaman curry reflects centuries of trade at the court of Ayutthaya, where Persian and Muslim merchants brought dried spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg — rare in Thai cooking. The name is thought to come from an old word for "Muslim".
The result is a Thai curry with distinctly Middle Eastern and Indian warmth, typically made with beef or chicken rather than pork.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Mild and rich rather than fiery, it's often the first Thai curry people fall in love with.
💡 Fun Fact
Massaman appears in a famous 18th-century Thai poem attributed to Prince Itsarasunthon, praising the curry's fragrance.
Ayutthaya and southern Thailand
14.35°N, 100.57°E
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