Beef Massaman Curry – Slow-Cooked Thai-Style Comfort Food

Beef Massaman Curry
This rich and fragrant Thai-inspired curry is packed with tender chunks of slow-cooked beef, warm spices, creamy coconut, and soft potatoes. It’s a comforting one-pot dish perfect for cosy nights or impressive dinner parties — and it tastes even better the next day.

Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 3–4 hours (slow cooker) or 50 mins (pressure cooker)
Total time: 3 hrs 30 mins (slow cooker)

This massaman curry starts with a homemade paste full of garlic, lemongrass, and spices. Chuck blade is seared for deep flavour, then slow-cooked with creamy coconut, beef stock, and warming aromatics. Potatoes soak up all that delicious sauce, and it’s finished with fresh coriander and crunchy peanuts for contrast.

Ingredients

For the paste:

• 1 red onion

• 1–2 red chillies (adjust to taste)

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 small handful fresh coriander

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• Bottom half of 2 lemongrass stalks (soft centre only)

For the curry:

• 800g chuck blade (cross-cut if possible), cut into 4cm chunks

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• Salt and pepper

• 300ml coconut cream

• 300ml beef stock

• 8 small potatoes or 2–3 large, cut into quarters

• 2 lemongrass stalks (top halves only – reserved from above)

• 2 lime leaves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 cardamom pods

• Reserved outer lemongrass pieces

• Small handful fresh coriander, chopped

• Optional: Lime wedges, chopped peanuts, extra coriander for serving

 Method

1. Make the Paste
   Add all the paste ingredients to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Set aside.

2. Prep & Sear the Beef
   Toss the beef in cornflour with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a large pot or sauté pan over medium-high heat, then sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan — you want colour. Set beef aside.

3. Cook the Paste
   In the same pot, add the paste and cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes until it becomes fragrant and slightly darker — this step deepens the flavour.

4. Build the Curry
   Return the beef to the pot along with the beef stock, coconut cream, potatoes, lime leaves, lemongrass tops, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and reserved lemongrass scraps. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

5. Slow Cook
   Cover with a lid and cook:

• In a slow cooker on low for 3–4 hours

• Or in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes

The beef should be tender and the potatoes soft.

6. Check the Sauce
   If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes to reduce. It should coat the back of a spoon.

7. Serve
   Ladle into bowls over steamed rice. Finish with chopped peanuts, fresh coriander, and a wedge of lime for brightness.

Chef’s Tip
Taste your chilli before using — some can be surprisingly hot! Go easy at first; you can always add more.

Enjoy

Del x