Savor the exotic taste of our Homemade Massaman Curry. It’s a delightful mix of creamy peanut butter and coconut, enriched with juicy chicken, carrots, and potatoes – an ultimate comfort food adventure!
Massaman Curry is one of my all time favorite Thai recipes. It’s not as aggressive as Yellow Curry; instead, it has subtle hints of coconut and peanut. This Thai Massaman Curry recipe is loaded with chunks of potato, carrot, and thin slices of chicken. You get a little bit of everything all in one bowl, making it the perfect meal!
If you love Yellow Curry and Red Curry, then you’ll love this Massaman version. This recipe is a more subtle version of curry and has become a staple at home, tasting just like the ones found at your favorite Thai restaurants.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Curry
- Homemade Massaman Curry offers an irresistible unique blend of spices, coconut, and peanuts.
- Its combination of tender meat, potatoes, and carrots in a creamy sauce makes it a fulfilling and comforting meal.
- This Massaman recipe is perfect for meal prep. It keeps well and is ideal for a delicious and easy meal for busy days.
Recipe Ingredients
- Coconut Milk: Rich and creamy, coconut milk adds a velvety texture and a subtle sweetness.
- Peanut Butter: Smooth peanut butter infuses a nutty, slightly sweet taste.
- Massaman Curry Paste: This paste offers a complex blend of spices, herbs, and aromatics that creates that distinctive Thai flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Vegetarian or Vegan Massaman Curry Variation: Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth, swap out chicken breasts for a firm tofu, and use a vegan fish sauce and you’re all set! Be sure to adjust the cooking times as needed for the tofu.
- Paste Options: Explore different flavors in your Massaman Curry with various curry paste options. Green Curry Paste brings a fresh, herbaceous taste. For those who favor heat, Thai Red Curry Paste, made from red chilies, garlic, and shallots, offers a robust and fiery flavor. Yellow Curry Paste is a milder, subtly sweet alternative, featuring turmeric, cumin, and yellow mustard seeds, perfect for a warm, aromatic flavor. Lastly, Panang Curry Paste introduces a nuttier, slightly sweeter dimension with peanuts or cashews, red chilies, and kaffir lime leaves.
How to Make Massaman Curry
Step 1: In a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion until tender.
Step 2: Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and curry paste; stir to combine.
Step 4: Let the potatoes and carrots simmer for 10 minutes, then add the sliced chicken. Continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
Step 5: Remove from the heat, serve over freshly cooked white or brown rice. Garnish with additional peanuts, sliced lime, and Thai basil, if desired.
FAQs
If you prefer a thinner sauce, simply add more coconut milk or broth to the curry. On the other hand, for a thicker sauce, increase the amount of peanut butter or add more vegetables.
Absolutely! You can add a variety of vegetables to enhance the nutrition and flavor. Good options include red bell peppers, bamboo shoots, zucchini, green beans, peas, eggplant, and spinach. Just remember to adjust the cooking time depending on the veggies you choose.
Of course! If you want to make it from scratch simply mix 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp lemongrass paste, 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ginger, and ⅛ tsp each of nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, plus a pinch of cloves for a homemade paste.
Of course! I used chicken breasts but I also like using chicken thighs, beef, lamp, pork, or even shrimp as a protein. You can also use tofu if you are wanting a vegetarian Massaman curry option.
Storage Info
STORE the Massaman Curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To FREEZE, store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
To REHEAT, thaw in the refrigerator if frozen, then warm on the stove over medium heat until heated through. Alternatively, microwave in a microwave-safe dish, stirring occasionally, until hot.
For More Recipes, Check These Out
Homemade Massaman Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil - OR coconut oil OR vegetable oil
- 1/2 yellow onion - diced
- 3 russet potatoes - peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 carrots - peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 2 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk*
- 1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1 4 oz. can massaman curry - OR homemade curry paste – see NOTES below
- 1 lb chicken breasts - thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion until tender.
- Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and curry paste; mix to combine.
- Let the potatoes and carrots simmer for 10 minutes, then add the sliced chicken. Continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove from the heat, serve over freshly cooked white or brown rice. Garnish with additional peanuts, sliced lime, and Thai basil, if desired.
I boiled the potatoes beforehand and it helped make them very tender! Otherwise I find that they don’t get fully cooked on the stove.
Great option!! Thank you for sharing that!
Decided to make this on a whim, knowing I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. In particular, lemon grass and red curry paste. I subbed in lemon zest and sumac for the lemongrass (citrusy and floral) and simply used curry powder for the paste. I knew it would taste good – the ingredients couldn’t really fail. However, the massaman flavor was VERY there with this recipe. We all loved it. Smelled and tasted just like my favorite Thai dish. Next time I hit the store, I’ll be sure to pick up those couple of items to have in my pantry, but you can’t go wrong here. Also, I cooked the chicken in the curry in the last few minutes – For those of you reading comments, no need to do this ahead of time. Just add it at the end, and you’re done when it’s cooked through.
That sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing what you added. I am happy you liked it!
After having a not so good experience from a local Thai place I decide to make my own Massaman Curry. This recipe is the best Massaman Curry I’ve had. Absolutely delicious. I used butternut squash instead of carrots and halved the recipe. It still made enough for 4. I used Maesri Massaman Curry Paste instead of making it from scratch. I made it exactly as written, only cut everything in 1/2. Thank you for this great recipe!
Glad to share 🙂 Thank you for letting me know what you did! Glad you liked it!
Natalie,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We used to get Massaman almost weekly at a local restaurant but moved and have not been able to find anything that tasted similar.
This is perfect, the family is whole again!
You’ve made my day! I am glad you found this recipe! Thank you!
I love Massaman curry and am so excited to try this! Just want to confirm…so the chicken is raw when placed in the sauce and does not need to be cooked at all beforehand? Also if I want super mild, should I leave out the red curry, or would that affect the flavor? Thank you!
I hope you like this 🙂 I do add cooked chicken. I will have to add that. That might change the taste, but you can add as much or as little of the spices as you like.
So the chicken is cooked? It hasn’t been changed in the recipe yet.
Cooked 🙂