chicken massaman curry

A classic Thai chicken and potato curry. Mildly spicy and full of flavour with lemongrass, coconut milk and peanut butter. It’s rich, creamy and super satisfying.

Chicken Massaman Curry

Lemongrass Stalk

Milk

Thai Massaman Curry Paste

Palm Sugar

Fish Sauce

Tamarind Paste

Cinnamon Stick

Red Chilli

Star Anise

Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thigh

Potato

White Onion

Dark Roast Peanut Butter

Water

Deep Fried Tofu Puff

Lime Leaf

Coriander

Jasmine Rice

Salt

Bash the lemongrass and remove the bottom stems and outer husks. Set aside the core and stems/husks, keeping them separate. Halve the chilli. 

For the curry, bring ¼ of the coconut milk to a boil in a large lidded pan set over a medium heat. Simmer for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally, to allow the water to evaporate, leaving just a shiny oily surface.

Add the curry paste and mix well. Let the mixture simmer for about 4 mins, stirring frequently, until it has thickened and the coconut oil has separated from the paste, then add the star anise and cinnamon stick and cook for another minute. If the paste sticks to the bottom of the pot, deglaze with a bit more coconut milk.

Now add the palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and peanut butter with a pinch of salt and mix well. Then add ⅘ of the remaining coconut milk (set the rest aside for garnish later) and the halves of chilli. Mix well and scrape the bottom to make sure no curry paste is stuck. Add the chicken thighs and bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pan with a lid and let the mixture simmer gently for 35 mins, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile make the rice. Wash the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a rice cooker along with the coconut milk, water, salt and ½ the lemongrass stems/husks. Cook for one cycle of the rice cooker.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized chunks. Halve the tofu puffs and quarter the onion lengthways. When the chicken cooking time is up, remove the chicken to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Add the potato, tofu puffs, onions, water and remaining lemongrass husks/stems to the curry and mix to combine. Simmer for another 15 mins with the lid on. The potatoes should just be fork tender; do not overcook it or it will thicken the curry sauce.

Meanwhile, finely slice the lime leaves and reserved lemongrass core, and pick the coriander leaves.

When the potato has finished cooking, debone the cooled chicken, break it into large chunks, and return it to the pot. Gently mix and adjust the seasoning if needed with any extra fish sauce or tamarind paste. Turn off the heat, and leave to rest, with the lid on, for 15 mins.

Before serving, reheat the curry over a low-medium heat just until simmering (you don't want to toughen the chicken or overcook the potatoes).

Divide the rice between bowls and ladle over the curry. Top with the coriander leaves, lime leaves, sliced lemongrass and a drizzle of leftover coconut milk.

Is there a recipe for the Massaman paste or is it assuming you have a ready made one?

1,500 kcals + a portion?! Way too much fat for one meal.. will be giving this one a miss sadly

Video mentions crunchy peanuts. You should add that to the actual recepie

I noticed you had red chillies in but they’re not on the list of ingredients

10/10 the flavors are so wonderful! First time cooking with a lot of these ingredients, I really enjoyed cooking with the lemongrass. It was definitely trust the process for me, once the chicken was cooked, it started to look as it should. I used skinless boneless thighs, they didn’t have bone in unfortunately. I agree with less water, the recipe says the same amount of water for both the rice and the curry. Definitely less water for the curry in my opinion if you want it to be thicker.

This was lovely and gets even better the longer you leave it. I used skinless boneless chicken thighs as I find you need to clean skin-on chicken quite thoroughly or it creates a lot of scum while simmering.

Flavours were fab and overall really enjoyed this curry, but the sauce could have done with less water I think as it was quite a thin sauce and I prefer thicker. Really yummy though and went down well with the whole family!

The measurements here...4/5 etc ughgghhhh

Delicious and cozy winter meal! I used pomegranate molasses as I could not find tamarind paste.

Mine produced a lot of fat from the chicken skin which I skimmed off (filled a whole jam jar!) - would maybe use skinless and boneless or breast next time. Sauce delicious. Tofu puff doesn’t add much so would leave out next time. Would maybe also add less water to have a thicker sauce.

A very authentic massaman.  I followed the recipe but cooked in slow cooker.  3 hours for chicken and sauce, on low, added potatoes and onion and cooked for additional 2 hours on high.  Added chopped lemon grass at the end and stirred in.  Just served with regular basmati rice cooked using the absorbtion method.  Would definitely make this again.  Delicious!

I put it in the oven on 170c for 1hr 10min including the potatoes. Delish!

What paste do you recommend pls?  They are not made equal...

Hi! It says 500 of an unknown ingredient on the ingredients list, what is this please?

https://players.brightcove.net/6113368299001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6366859275112

Easy 30-minute Thai Massaman Curry recipe loaded with tender chicken, colorful vegetables, and a rich coconut sauce for a sweet, spicy, and creamy dish.

Massaman Curry Recipe

1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken (breast

olive oil

½ inch ginger (grated

garlic (grated

oz Maesri Thai Masaman Curry ((1 can))

carrots

onion

baby corn (fresh

coconut milk ((2 cans, full-fat))

french beans (cut

broccoli florets

lime

Saute chicken: Preheat the Instant Pot on Saute mode and add oil, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and chicken. 

Add veggies and coconut milk: Sauté for 30-45 seconds then add carrots, onions, and baby corn. Stir in coconut milk and mix well.

Pressure Cook: Wait till the curry starts bubbling. This prevents the coconut milk from curdling under pressure. Cancel Saute, close the lid, and pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.

Release pressure: Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 mins, then release manually. Open the lid after the pin drops.  

Add delicate veggies: Turn on Saute. Add green beans and simmer until they cook to your preferred doneness. Now add broccoli florets and let them cook in the pot for a few minutes. Cancel Saute.

Finish: Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish and serve with rice of choice.

Instant Pot Method

Saute: Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, curry paste, and chicken, and sauté for 30-45 seconds.  Add carrots, onions, green beans, and baby corn, and stir.

Add coconut milk: Shake the coconut cans before opening and pour into the pan scrapping all the cream from the sides of the can. Stir well.

Simmer: When the curry starts bubbling, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked and tender.

Add delicate vegetables: Add the broccoli florets and let them cook in the curry for 3 minutes or until they cook to your desired tenderness.

Finish and garnish: Turn off the heat and squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish. Garnish with chopped Thai or regular basil and enjoy!

Stovetop Recipe

Absolutely my favourite and much easier than you would think. Also worth it to get the real curry paste. This is totally a comfort food recipe for me. Thanks for posting it and all the other wonderful recipes from India and Thailand!

I give this 4 stars because I had NO IDEA how incredibly SPICY the entire 4oz can of the recommended brand would be. I understand when it comes to spice level - there isn’t a real gauge for the average at home cook, so the author may not find it overpowering at all. This was at the top of my husband’s tolerance and I couldn’t eat it at all. He ate it slowly with lots of rice but unfortunately the remainder went into the trash and I ate a sandwich. 

In fairness, I was rushing to get this in the IP before running to a meeting so I didn’t taste as I went per usual. 

I’m curious, will using only a tablespoon or two affect the flavor of the dish? Will it still taste like Massaman Curry? 

I bought the 4-can pack from Amazon and would like to give it another go.

This recipe is so good! The first curry I’ve made at home that actually tastes as good as a restaurant!! My only question is - my curry turned out with a really thick layer of oil on the top at the end, is there a way to avoid this/avoid the oil separating from the rest of the sauce?

Just wanted to say thank you!  Ever since 2 years ago when I had Massaman Curry from a Thai restaurant in Mountainbrook, Alabama while visiting my cousin, I have been trying recipes to make it at home. This is the first recipe that I really loved. I don’t have an instasta pot so I made it on the stovetop. The addition of the veggies in your recipe makes it beautiful as well as tasty. I added sweet potatoes which I cut up and cooked in microwave just to soften them a bit and tossed them in when I added the broccoli.

Super easy recipe but it’s missing something. It’s so close to being perfect but it’s just missing something and I can’t put my finger on it ????

There were so many stinkin' ads on the page, that I could only see 3 lines if type at once. I gave up. I tried to paste a screen shot here so you could see what I'm talking about, but it won't let me.
I fully understand why advertising is needed to support your work, but this is ridiculous. The Facebook, twitter  and Pinterest buttons are irritating too, as they cover up the information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwg4zndhvbY

Full Recipe at: https://spicecravings.com/thai-massaman-curry
Thai food is always on repeat menu in my home, especially on weeknights. It is quick and super easy to make, delicious and very easily customizable to our palette. Thai Massaman Curry, or, Thai Masaman Curry, is one of the milder curries in Thai cuisine, which is perfect when you’re making this for kids.  I love the flavor combination in this curry. It’s a nice blend of sweet and spicy and the coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess to the curry. I finish this dish with a light squeeze of lime and it ties all the flavors together really well.

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