Massaman is such a pleasingly mild and warming curry – like a hug in a bowl…
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
Spices
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
4 whole cloves
Paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 red chillies, roughly chopped
½ cup roasted peanuts
Curry
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
½ cup water
2 stalks lemongrass, hard outer leaves removed, bruised
4 whole star anise
1 bay leaf
1.5 kilograms beef cheeks, shin or stewing steak,
cut into 5cm pieces
350 grams baby potatoes (I used coloured gourmet ones)
To serve
¼ cup fried shallots
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
⅓ cup fresh coriander
METHOD
Spices: Add all the spices to a dry frying pan and toast for
a few minutes until fragrant. Place in a small food processor and whizz or grind in a mortar and pestle.
Paste: Add the paste ingredients to the food processor and whizz together.
Curry: Bring the coconut milk to a boil in a large heavy-based pot, then simmer until the oil has separated and is floating on the top. Add the curry paste and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the shrimp paste, water, lemongrass, star anise and bay leaf. Add the beef, cover and simmer gently for 3½ hours. Remove the lid and simmer for a further ¾ hour. Add the potatoes and simmer for a final 20 minutes until they are cooked through.
To serve: Garnish with fried shallots, roasted peanuts and fresh coriander before serving.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
Related Content
latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.