Massaman curry by Chris Barber
Massaman curry is a rich, fragrant relatively mild Thai curry with potatoes and peanuts that is an interpretation of a Persian dish.

Ingredients
To make the paste:
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Red Chillies 20 g
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Banana shallots 50 g
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Galangal 20 g
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Garlic 50 g
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Lemongrass 20 g
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Lime 20 g
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Lime leaves 1 g
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Coriander seeds 5 g
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Cumin seeds 5 g
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Black peppercorns 5 g
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Cardamon, green 1 g
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Fish sauce 50 ml
To make the curry sauce:
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Vegetable oil 20 ml
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Coconut milk 400 ml
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White Chicken Stock (scratch) 400 ml
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New potatoes 450 g
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Cinnamon Sticks 5 g
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Seedless Tamarind 20 g
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Brown sugar 4 g
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Fish sauce 20 ml
Finishing the curry:
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Peanuts 100 g
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Chicken breast, skinless 800 g
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Coriander 10 g
Preparation
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To make the paste:
- Trim, peel and rinse all the ingredients then blend together into a smooth paste. Adjust seasoning to taste then cover and chill (can be frozen) until needed.
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To make the curry sauce:
- Fry the paste for 2-3 min. in the oil then add coconut milk, stock, potatoes, tamarind, sugar, peanuts and cinnamon then bring to the boil and simmer for 12-15 min. or until the potatoes are cooked. (This sauce can be held at this stage ready for addition of vegetables and chicken to order during service.)
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Finishing the curry:
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to the boil then add the vegetables and chicken then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 min. Turn off the heat, allowing the chicken to cook through gently in the hot sauce over 1-2 min. Season to taste.
- Serve topped with coriander, the remaining peanuts and coconut rice.