Massaman curry is a Thai Muslim dish that was brought to Thailand by Persian traders and merchants in the 17th century. It’s a flavorful, thick, and creamy curry that typically contains chunks of meat (such as beef or chicken), potatoes, onions, and peanuts or cashews.

Here are the ingredients and step-by-step instructions for cooking traditional Thai Massaman Curry:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef chuck or chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons massaman curry paste
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 4 cardamom pods
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or cashews
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the beef or chicken over high heat in a little oil until seared on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add the massaman curry paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and broth, stirring to incorporate the curry paste. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cardamom pods.
4. Return the seared meat to the pot, along with the potato chunks and sliced onion. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender.
6. Remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, and cardamom pods. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness, or tamarind for sourness.
7. Stir in the roasted peanuts or cashews.
8. Serve the massaman curry over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.

The key is letting the curry simmer slowly to allow the flavors to meld and the meat to become fork-tender. The combination of warm spices, rich coconut milk, tangy tamarind and crunchy nuts make this an incredibly complex and satisfying Thai curry.