A very aromatic curry, Massaman is one of the most famous Thai dishes. King Rama II praised about Massaman in his famous food poem since 1800s, but the curry has got a hint of Persian influence by the use of spices from the Middle East, introduced to Royal Thai Cuisine by the Bunnag’s, a noble family of Persian descent.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 4 white cardamom pods (open them and use only the seeds)
- 2.5 cm (1 inch) cinnamon stick, crushed
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
- 5 -10 dried Spur chillies, cut into about 2.5 cm pieces
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 Tbsp mature galangal, sliced finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp lemongrass, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp Kaffir lime zest, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Thai garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup shallots
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Directions
- Dry roast (lightly toast without oil or water) coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pan on medium low heat. Constantly stir until they start to release aroma, then take off the heat and let cool completely.
- In a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, pound the toasted spices together with the white peppercorns until they are a fine powder. Spoon it out into a small cup and set aside.
- In a wok, over medium heat, add the oil and wait until it’s quite hot. Fry the chillies until they just turn dark. This will take about 5-10 seconds so do not take your eyes off the wok! Strain them and set aside.
- In the same hot wok, fry galangal, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, one thing at a time, until each turns colour slightly and releases the aroma. Strain them and set aside. Keep the oil to use when you make the curry.
- In a stone mortar, add the fried chillies and salt, pound them together until quite fine.
- Add all the ingredients, one at a time, into the mortar and pound until thoroughly combined. Remember to pound until the paste is quite smooth and there are no obvious chunks before you add the next ingredients.
- Scoop out the paste and use within a day for best flavour or keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If storing in the fridge, you should add a couple of tablespoons of the frying oil into the paste as the oil will help preserve the paste and add extra flavour.
