Massaman curry is one of the most popular curries from Thailand. To make this curry, you can easily find prepared pastes at the store. However, if you want to make an authentic curry from scratch, you must make your own massaman curry paste.
The paste has many ingredients, as massaman has a complex flavour profile with many layers. However, it is easy to make your own paste, as it is only a two-step process. Once it is made, The Fruity Tart recommends freezing any paste you do not immediately use, as this will save you time when you next make a curry.
The curry paste is versatile, as it is vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, so it meets all dietary requirements. You can use the paste with many proteins, but the most popular is beef. You can read our recipe for beef massaman curry here. If you do not eat beef, it is possible to make the curry using other proteins, such as lamb, chicken, goat, fish, or prawns. You can also use it to make a vegetarian or vegan massaman curry.
Although the ingredients list may look intimidating due to the number of items, the paste is quick and easy to make. The two-step process involves simply chopping and blending. Here is how to make a delicious and easy massaman curry paste.
Massaman Curry Paste: Easy Thai Recipe to Make
Course: International Recipes, RecipesCuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutesYES
YES
YES
YES
A simple recipe for massaman curry paste that you can use in our various massaman curry recipes. There is enough to make four curries.
Ingredients
85 g/ 2 oz. salted peanuts
1 small onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. of fish sauce
1 tsp. shrimp paste
2 red chillies
1 tsp. palm sugar (or brown sugar if you do not have palm sugar)
2-inch piece galangal
1 stalk of lemongrass (or 2 tbsp. prepared lemongrass)
A teaspoon each of ground cumin and cinnamon
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp each ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and cardamom seeds
3 tbsp coconut milk
Directions
- Chop the chillies, ginger, and onion.
- Put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz to a smooth massaman curry paste.
Additional Tips
- If you do not have any shrimp paste, Americas Restaurants recommends using an anchovy, soy sauce, miso paste, or bonito flakes. These have a similar flavour profile that makes them suitable alternatives.
- An alternative to galangal is ginger, although ginger has a hotter flavour. Therefore, you might prefer to use a little less ginger than the specified quantity of galangal.
Using the Massaman Curry Paste for Curries
In addition to using the paste for our beef massaman curry, you can also use it in our lamb massaman curry or a vegetable equivalent. Furthermore, you can use the curry paste as a base for other Thai curries that do not follow a traditional massaman curry recipe or methodology.
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know what you think in the comments below. Similarly, let our readers know if you have any tips for making the paste.