Massaman Beef Curry

A rich, mildly spiced Thai curry with tender beef, creamy coconut sauce, and warming whole spices.

Ingredients

• 800 g (1.75 lb) beef chuck, cut into 4 cm / 1.5 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 tbsp Massaman curry paste
• 400 ml (13.5 oz) coconut milk (full-fat)
• 500 ml (2 cups) water
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (or palm sugar)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 450 g (1 lb) waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 80 g (1/2 cup) roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1–2 tbsp tamarind paste (to taste)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Brown the beef (flavour base)

  Pat beef dry (better browning). Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches (don’t crowd) and sear until well browned on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl.

• 2

  Step 2: Fry the curry paste

  Lower heat to medium. Add Massaman curry paste and stir-fry until fragrant and the oil starts to split out, about 1–2 minutes. If it sticks, splash in a little coconut milk.

• 3

  Step 3: Build the sauce

  Add coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste. Add water, fish sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom. Return beef (and any juices) to the pot.

• 4

  Step 4: Slow simmer until nearly tender

  Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes (scrape the bottom). The sauce should be softly bubbling, not boiling hard.

• 5

  Step 5: Add potatoes and onion

  Stir in potatoes and onion wedges. Cover and simmer 30–40 minutes until potatoes are tender and beef is very tender (a fork should slide in easily).

• 6

  Step 6: Finish with peanuts + tang

  Stir in peanuts and tamarind paste. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust:

• 7

  Step 7: Rest and serve

  Rest off heat 10 minutes (the sauce thickens and flavour rounds out). Serve hot.

Tips

• **Coconut milk splitting is good:** If you see oil pooling on top, that’s a sign the paste has fried out properly and the curry will taste richer.
• **Texture control:** If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water; if too thin, simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes.
• **Make-ahead:** Tastes even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently (low heat) so the coconut doesn’t split aggressively.
• **Serve with:** Steamed rice (or any plain grain) to soak up the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)