Thai Masaman Curry (Kang Masaman)
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Ingredients
| 2-1/4 lb. | chuck steak, cut into 1 inch squares | | 5 cups | water | | 1 cup | coconut milk | | 1 cup | peanuts, roasted | | Nam pla to taste (fish sauce) | | 3 tbsp. | tamarind water | | Coconut sugar, to taste |
Curry Paste
| 7 | dried chilies, deseeded and finely chopped | | 1/2 tsp. | freshly ground black pepper | | 2 tbsp. | coriander seeds | | 2 tbsp. | cumin seeds | | 1 tbsp. | shredded lemon grass | | 1 | cinnamon stick | | 5 | cardamom seeds | | 1/4 | whole nutmeg, grated | | 1 tsp. | salt | | 7 | shallots, peeled and broiled | | 5 cloves | garlic, peeled | | 1/2 tsp. | kapi (shrimp paste) |
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Instructions
Put the steak and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
To make the curry paste: Put the chilies in a pan with the pepper, coriander, cumin, lemon grass, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Cook over low heat until the mixture browns, stirring constantly. Transfer to a mortar and pound to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pound the mixture until smooth.
Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the coconut cream (coconut milk) to the liquid in the pan and heat gently, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and a little nam pla. Boil the liquid until reduced in volume by one third. Add the prepared curry paste and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Return the meat to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring back to the boil and continue cooking until the meat is very tender. Add the tamarind water with coconut sugar and nam pla to taste. Serve hot. Serves 6.
NOTE: Tamarind..Also known as asam or assem. An acid flavoured fruit resembling a bean pod. Sold as dried tamarind pulp in blocks and is dark brown in colour. The dried tamarind pulp must be made into tamarind water before using:-Soak about 1 ounce tamarind pulp in 1 1/4 cups water for 5 to 10 minutes, then squeeze, strain and use the water. The longer left to soak, the stronger the flavour.
Lime, lemon or mango juice or vinegar may be used as substitutes but the flavour of the finished dish but will not be the same. Tamarind paste should be refrigerated once opened, in which case it will keep indefinitely. Both tamarind pulp and tamarind paste are available at Asian stores.
Terasi..Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysian) Kapi (Thailand) and ngapi (Burma). A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
Coconut sugar..Also known as palm sugar. Brown sugar may be substituted.
Nam pla..is Thailand fish sauce.
The Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking
Author's Comments
This is an unusual Thai curry in that it contains peanuts and tamarind water and there are many variations. It is equally good prepared with chicken, rather than beef.
King Rama V1 said in one of his poems, ‘A lady who makes a good masaman will never be short of suitors’.