Massaman Curry with Chicken

We assume that Massaman is original from Malayu cuisine. We don’t know when we adopted but this dish has been well known for centuries as there was a famous poem which composed by the second king of Chakri Dynasty of Siam, ruling from 1809-1824 (Chakri Dynasty is the current ruling royal house of the kingdom of Thailand) and in his poem describing how good this dish was and how hot the aromatic cumin was if you had it you would dream of the dish and the cook (a girl who cooked this dish). His reign was known as the “Golden Ages of Rattanakosin Literature” (Rattanakosin was the name of Bangkok)

This piece of the poem of the king Rama ll is in the literature subject of our elementary school so every Thai knows this dish and sense of a romantic sentiment and aromatic spice from the dish though the poem.

Thai Royal Cuisine was the center of Thai food evolution, and has developed and flourished for centuries under the nurturing touch of the female members of the Royal Household, especially during King Rama ll. His wife, Princess Boonrod, was known for her culinary skill and many of the cooks from her kitchen became famous.

Curry Paste

Ingredients

 12               Dried big chillies, soak in warm water until soft, remove seeds and chopped fine

4 tbsp           Galangal, chopped fine (about 1 ½ inches piece of galangal root)

3 tbsp           Lemongrass, chopped fine.

4 cloves       Roasted garlic

4                  Roasted shallots

3 tsp            Coriander seeds, roast and ground

2 tsp            Cumin seeds, roast and ground

1 tsp            Pepper Corn, ground

5                  Cloves, roast and ground

Massaman Curry Paste

4                  Cardamoms (seeds only) roasted and ground

1 tsp            Nutmeg, ground

1 tbsp          Shrimp Paste, roasted

1 tsp            Salt

Instruction

Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and crush with pestle until smooth. This process can be done with a food processer too.

Massaman Curry 

Ingredients

5                 Chicken thigh (or chicken breast, cut into big chunks)

2 cups         Coconut Milk (from can with the thick cream one)

2                 Onion, medium, cut into wedges (about 1 inch thick).

1                 Potato, large, cut into big chunks.

4 -5 tbsp     Massaman Curry Paste

3 - 4 tbsp   Tamarind liquid, from thick liquid (mix tamarind (see picture) with water and knead with hand)

1 sticks      Cinnamon

⅓cup          Peanuts or Cashew Nuts, roasted

3                Cardamoms

2                 Bay Leaves

2 tbsp         Sugar or palm sugar

 ½ tbsp       Salt (this can be adjustable, if you add more water, if the curry is too thick)

1 ½ cup      Water

1 tbsp         Vegetable oil

1 ½ tbsp     Fish sauce

Instruction

1.      Sear chicken thighs on both sides for a few minutes on a wok or frying pan at medium high heat with 1 tbsp oil. And remove from a frying pan, put aside.

2.      Reduce the heat to medium, with the same frying pan, carefully remove all but 2 - 3 tbsp of oil from searing chicken. And add curry paste and 2 tbsp coconut milk, mix well. Stir-frying until fragrant. Add chicken, coconut milk, tamarind liquid, cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaves, palm sugar, fish sauce, salt and water.

3.      Transfer the mixer to a pot, and add potato, peanuts and onion. Simmering until chicken is tender (or if you make this dish for the next day then remove from heat before the chicken is too soft and re-heat or simmer again until chicken is loose from the bones before serve. *You can remove all the bones before serve)  Remove from heat and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.  

***If the dried big chillies are not available, can be replaced by the dried small chillies, remove all the seeds. The main spiciness of this curry is from spices, not only from chillies.