All the notes below are from the poster, not mine. Changes I made: Sandy was kind enough to send me 2 cans of massaman paste, so I used 2 oz. of that instead of the homemade paste below. It was a little hot for us so I added another 3/4 cup coconut milk and crushed seeds from 2 cardomom pods. It also needs the 1 Tbl. brown sugar mentioned near the end of the recipe. I made the coconut rice with it, but DH said he preferred plain rice as there is already plenty of coconut taste in the curry as to make the rice redundant.
This was really fabulous and will go into my permanent recipe file!
Thai Massaman Curry
This famous Thai curry is muslim in origin and can be made with either chicken or beef. It's a fragrant yellow curry that incorporates ground peanuts, lemongrass, and tamarind together with warm spices such as cardamom and fennel. Coconut milk is always used in this curry, as are bay leaves (instead of lime leaves). To make it even healthier, I've added carrots and okra, but green beans would be excellent too. The paste has a lot of ingredients, but is still easy to make. Toppings that go well with this curry include fresh coriander, roasted peanuts, and toasted coconut. ENJOY!
Total prep & cook time: 65 minutes
SERVES 3-4 (with rice)
1 to 1.5 lbs. (0.6 kg) chicken pieces
1-2 potatoes, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 14 oz.(400 ml.) can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 large carrot, sliced
6 'sticks' okra, chopped, or 1/2 to 1 cup green beans
optional: whole red chilies, dried or fresh
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. whole cumin
garnish: fresh coriander and roasted peanuts
PASTE:
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
1 fresh red chili OR 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili, to taste
2 Tbsp. minced lemongrass (fresh, frozen, or bottled)
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp. tamarind paste, OR substitute 1.5 Tbsp. lime juice
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fennel
1/4 tsp. cardamom (or substitute cinnamon)
1 Tbsp. palm sugar OR brown sugar
3/4 tsp. shrimp paste
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1. Place all 'Paste' ingredients in a food processor or chopper and blitz to create a fragrant Thai curry paste. If needed, add 2-3 Tbsp. coconut milk to help blend ingredients. You can also use a pestle & mortar, pounding dry ingredients together, then stirring in wet ingredients.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil, then add the paste you just made. Stir-fry paste 1 minute to release the fragrance.
3. Add coconut milk and stir. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, potato, carrot and okra (if using).
4. Add stock, plus bay leaves and whole chilies (if using). If you used fresh lemongrass, add the leftover (upper) stalks as well. Stir well and bring to a light boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover curry. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until both chicken and vegetables are well cooked. Alternatively, you can transfer everything to a covered casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
6. When chicken is done, add the whole cumin seeds and stir them into the hot curry. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too spicy for your taste, add more coconut milk. If you'd like a stronger sweet-sour flavor, add another 1/2 to 1 tsp. tamarind paste, plus 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. brown sugar.
7. Serve the curry with toppings of fresh coriander and whole peanuts. Serve with plain steamed rice, or also delicious with Easy Thai Coconut Rice.
Easy Thai Coconut Rice
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice (for brown coconut rice, see link below)
2 cups good-quality coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)
1. Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will also need a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
3. Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.
4. Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Tip: Your Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more, great for when you're expecting company!
5. When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and ENJOY! (see below for toasted coconut instructions).
To Toast Coconut: Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir ("dry fry") until light golden brown (see: Toasting Shredded Coconut.3).
http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Massaman-Curry.htm?p=1
This was really fabulous and will go into my permanent recipe file!
Thai Massaman Curry
This famous Thai curry is muslim in origin and can be made with either chicken or beef. It's a fragrant yellow curry that incorporates ground peanuts, lemongrass, and tamarind together with warm spices such as cardamom and fennel. Coconut milk is always used in this curry, as are bay leaves (instead of lime leaves). To make it even healthier, I've added carrots and okra, but green beans would be excellent too. The paste has a lot of ingredients, but is still easy to make. Toppings that go well with this curry include fresh coriander, roasted peanuts, and toasted coconut. ENJOY!
Total prep & cook time: 65 minutes
SERVES 3-4 (with rice)
1 to 1.5 lbs. (0.6 kg) chicken pieces
1-2 potatoes, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 14 oz.(400 ml.) can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 large carrot, sliced
6 'sticks' okra, chopped, or 1/2 to 1 cup green beans
optional: whole red chilies, dried or fresh
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. whole cumin
garnish: fresh coriander and roasted peanuts
PASTE:
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
1 fresh red chili OR 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili, to taste
2 Tbsp. minced lemongrass (fresh, frozen, or bottled)
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp. tamarind paste, OR substitute 1.5 Tbsp. lime juice
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fennel
1/4 tsp. cardamom (or substitute cinnamon)
1 Tbsp. palm sugar OR brown sugar
3/4 tsp. shrimp paste
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1. Place all 'Paste' ingredients in a food processor or chopper and blitz to create a fragrant Thai curry paste. If needed, add 2-3 Tbsp. coconut milk to help blend ingredients. You can also use a pestle & mortar, pounding dry ingredients together, then stirring in wet ingredients.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil, then add the paste you just made. Stir-fry paste 1 minute to release the fragrance.
3. Add coconut milk and stir. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, potato, carrot and okra (if using).
4. Add stock, plus bay leaves and whole chilies (if using). If you used fresh lemongrass, add the leftover (upper) stalks as well. Stir well and bring to a light boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover curry. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until both chicken and vegetables are well cooked. Alternatively, you can transfer everything to a covered casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
6. When chicken is done, add the whole cumin seeds and stir them into the hot curry. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too spicy for your taste, add more coconut milk. If you'd like a stronger sweet-sour flavor, add another 1/2 to 1 tsp. tamarind paste, plus 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. brown sugar.
7. Serve the curry with toppings of fresh coriander and whole peanuts. Serve with plain steamed rice, or also delicious with Easy Thai Coconut Rice.
Easy Thai Coconut Rice
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice (for brown coconut rice, see link below)
2 cups good-quality coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)
1. Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will also need a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
3. Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.
4. Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Tip: Your Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more, great for when you're expecting company!
5. When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and ENJOY! (see below for toasted coconut instructions).
To Toast Coconut: Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir ("dry fry") until light golden brown (see: Toasting Shredded Coconut.3).
http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Massaman-Curry.htm?p=1