Beef Massaman Curry
This mild yet rich curry is a balance of sweet, savoury and spice.
Hands-on time 20min. Cooking time about 1hr 25min. Serves 4
● 400ml tin coconut milk
● 4tbsp Massaman curry paste, we used Bart
● 600g beef chuck steak or boneless shin, trimmed and cut into large chunks, see GH Tip
● 500g new potatoes, quartered
● 2 small onions, roughly chopped
● 1 bay leaf
● 1 cinnamon stick
● 1tbsp palm sugar or demerara sugar
● 1tbsp tamarind paste
● 1tbsp fish sauce
● 50g roasted salted peanuts
● 200g sticky rice
● Large handful Thai basil, torn if large, to serve
● Lime wedges, to serve
1 Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2tbsp coconut milk and the curry paste and fry for 1min. Add the beef and fry until browned all over, about 5min.
2 Stir in remaining coconut milk, potatoes, onions, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce, peanuts and 300ml just-boiled water from a kettle. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat slightly and bubble gently for 45min, until the beef is almost tender and the sauce has reduced by at least ½. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 20-30min, or until the beef is just tender, stirring regularly to prevent the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3 When the curry has about 20min left to cook, wash the rice well in a bowl of cold water, rubbing the grains together with the palms of your hands as if polishing them. Drain away any cloudy water and repeat until water remains clear. Put rice in a medium pan with 300ml water and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10-15min, until water is absorbed and rice tender.
4 Check curry seasoning. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Garnish with Thai basil; serve with rice and lime wedges.
PER SERVING
840cals, 41g protein, 41g fat (22g saturates), 74g carbs (12g total sugars), 5g fibre GET AHEAD
Prepare curry to end of step 2 up to a day ahead; cool, cover and chill. To serve, reheat gently until piping hot, adding a splash of water if needed. Complete recipe to serve.