~1328 cal · 75g protein · 45g carbs · 97g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Rich brown curry with beef, potatoes, and peanuts
🇹🇭 Southern Thailand
Massaman came up through Thailand’s Muslim south, carrying warm baking spices rare in Thai food — cinnamon, cardamom, clove — a legacy of Persian and Indian traders. Once voted the most delicious dish in the world, it’s rich, sweet-sour, and slow.
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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
•
2 lbs beef chuck, cubed
•
4 tbsp massaman curry paste
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2 cans (28 oz) coconut milk
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3 + 1 potatoes + onion, chunked
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1/2 cup roasted peanuts
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4 cardamom
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1 stick cinnamon
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2 star anise
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2 bay
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2 tbsp tamarind paste
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2 tbsp palm sugar
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2 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
1
Fry the curry paste in the thick coconut cream until the oil splits and it smells deep and toasty.
2
Add the beef (or mushrooms) and sear in the paste; add the whole spices.
3
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and a cup of water; simmer gently 45 minutes (20 for plant).
4
Add potatoes, onion, and peanuts; simmer 25 more until everything is tender.
5
Balance with tamarind, palm sugar, and fish sauce until sweet, sour, and salty are in harmony. Serve with jasmine rice.
Southern Thai Muslim tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Southern Thailand. Peninsular kitchens of rich, mild Muslim-influenced curries.
🗺️
Thailand. The balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in every bite.
🌍
Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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