Chicken massaman curry is a creamy, tangy chicken curry that coats the perfectly cooked cubed potatoes. It is usually served with hot jasmine rice, making it a satisfying and delicious meal. The curry is flavored with peanut butter, lime, star anise, and cilantro. Chicken massaman curry is gluten-free with mild flavors and a touch of sweetness from the coconut milk. The addition of nuts and peanuts adds a luxurious texture to the curry. A supremely delicious recipe you must definitely try!
Health Benefits
Chicken Massaman Curry rich in vitamin A and magnesium. Vitamin A helps in making the immune system strong and maintains white blood cells which keep infections away. This curry is loaded with proteins which help in keeping our body and muscles healthy.
Ingredients
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice – freshly squeezed
2 tbsp massaman curry paste
1 red chili - deseeded and finely chopped
1 star anise
1 ½ cups coconut milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tsp garlic – crushed
1-inch ginger — grated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemongrass — chopped
¼ tsp salt
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast — chopped
2 medium potatoes – cut into cubes
½ cup onion – sliced
½ cup red bell pepper – sliced
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup peanuts – chopped
1 tbsp fresh cilantro — chopped
How To Make Chicken Massaman Curry
- Pour vegetable oil in a thick bottomed pan and heat over a medium flame. Add star anise, onion, ginger, garlic, and chili. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the curry paste and the cubed chicken to the pan and cook for 4 minutes.
- Stir in brown sugar, massaman curry paste, fish sauce, tamarind paste, red bell pepper, salt, lemon grass, peanut butter, potatoes, chicken stock, and coconut milk.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the center for about 20 minutes. Add the lime juice and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from flame and garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts.
- Serve with hot jasmine rice.
Trivia
Tamarind, an essential ingredient in the chicken massaman curry gets its name from an Arab expression which means ‘date of India’. The tamarind tree is native to Africa but has been cultivated in India for so long that it is regarded as indigenous there.
Tamarind is very sour and Marco Polo claimed that the Malabar pirates made their victims swallow a mixture of tamarind and seawater so that they would vomit their stomach contents and reveal any pearls they may have swallowed to hide from the pirates!