Massaman Curry

I love Thai food. I don't think I've ever been to a Thai restaurant and thought the food wasn't good. 

Naturally, it's something I want to recreate in my own kitchen - it's fun and once you have the ingredients it's not too difficult. This is a recipe I've been using for a while. Some of the ingredients are a bit hard to find, but don't worry. It's not fussy, and it's so delicious!
original recipe via about.com



Grocery list items:
Red skin potatoes (4 medium)
1 can coconut milk
1 small hot pepper (banana pepper or other)
vegetable stock
lemongrass
ginger
Keffir lime leaves (or bay leaves)
cashews, whole, dry roasted, unsalted
coriander
tamarind (can use lime juice instead)
shrimp paste (or use extra fish sauce)
fish sauce
brown sugar
green beans



What makes this recipe easy is plenty of substitutions. Obviously, if you have access to a good Asian market (I've bought many of the harder-to-find ingredients in Chinatown) you'll get great results. But either way, it still comes out delicious!



Massaman Curry:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 tsp lemongrass, dry or fresh, minced
2 Keffir lime leaves (or bay leaves)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp dried tamarind or juice from 1/2 lime
3/4 tsp shrimp paste (or sub 1 tbsp fish sauce)
4 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 red skin potatoes, washed and diced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 cup cashews, whole, dry roasted, unsalted
1 can coconut milk
1 small hot pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cup green beans, chopped



In a large saucepan, combine onion, garlic, ginger, and cayenne and stir, cooking over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 min.



Then add the next 11 ingredients, through fish sauce.



Stir, then continue cooking over medium-low heat, until it starts to bubble.



 Lower the heat, and add the potatoes and vegetable stock, stirring well to coat. Cook until potatoes begin to get tender, about 20 min.



Add cashews and half the can of coconut milk, stir well, and bring to a simmer.



Add the green beans and hot pepper, and another quarter of the coconut milk. Cook with the lid off if you want the curry to have a thicker sauce, lid on if you like it more liquid-y. Also, if you decide to add any additional vegetables, be sure to cook them separately and add them at the end, with as little extra liquid as possible. You don't want to dilute the sauce.



Cook until green beans are tender, about 8-10 minutes, then add remainder of coconut milk and stir. Bring back to a simmer. Serve over rice and sprinkle with crushed cashews.



As I mentioned above, you can find many of these ingredients in Asian markets or other specialty stores. However, I have found great success with simply substituting for ingredients that are easier to find. It's easy to create a delicious dish by playing with the flavors to find a balance you like. For saltier curry, use more fish sauce. Sweeter, use more sugar. Sour, add lime juice, and spicy add more cayenne. I used brown rice here as an accompaniment, but you can use white or jasmine rice instead, depending on your preference. Enjoy your homemade Thai food! Almost like a restaurant!

Massaman Curry

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 tsp lemongrass, dry or fresh, minced
2 Keffir lime leaves (or bay leaves)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp dried tamarind or juice from 1/2 lime
3/4 tsp shrimp paste (or sub 1 tbsp fish sauce)
4 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 red skin potatoes, washed and diced
1/2 cup vegetable stock&nbsp
1 cup cashews, whole, dry roasted, unsalted
1 can coconut milk
1 small hot pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cup green beans, chopped

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine onion, garlic, ginger, and cayenne and stir, cooking over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 min.
2. Add the next 11 ingredients, through fish sauce and stir, then continue cooking over medium-low heat, until it starts to bubble.
3. Lower the heat, and add the potatoes and vegetable stock, stirring well to coat. Cook until potatoes begin to get tender, about 20 min.
4. Add cashews and half the can of coconut milk, stir well, and bring to a simmer.

5.  Add the green beans and hot pepper, and another quarter of the coconut milk.

6. Cook until green beans are tender, about 8-10 minutes, then add remainder of coconut milk and bring back to a simmer.

7. Taste curry and adjust seasonings as desired (brown sugar for more sweetness, lime juice or tamarind for sour, fish sauce for salty, and cayenne for spicy)

8. Serve over rice and sprinkle with crushed cashews.