Indulge in this rich and aromatic Thai-style beef Massaman curry, slow-cooked until the beef is fall-apart tender in a silky coconut milk sauce. Infused with warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, and finished with a vibrant squeeze of lime, this one‑pot wonder is perfect for cozy dinners or make-ahead meal prep. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with fresh coriander and red chillies for an extra pop.
Ingredients Massaman Paste
1 red onion, chopped
3 mild red chilies (e.g., Fresno), roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp white pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 stalks lemongrass, inner part finely chopped (or 2 tsp lemongrass paste)
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp shrimp paste (optional)
3 tsp fish sauce (or gluten-free if needed)
1 tsp brown sugar
A small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) stalks (save the leaves for garnish)
½ tsp salt
For the Curry
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1½ tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 kg beef (braising cut, e.g. chuck), cut into chunks
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
400 ml beef stock (or use a suitable broth alternative)
400 g canned coconut milk
500 g baby new potatoes, halved if large
Juice of 1 lime
Turkey bacon (to replace bacon) — you can crisp some and use as garnish or mix in as desired
Chicken ham (to replace ham) — slice or dice and add per your preference
To Serve
Steamed rice
Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
Chopped red chilies
Lime wedges
Instructions:
Make the Massaman Paste:
Put the red onion, chilies, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, white pepper, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, (optional) shrimp paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, coriander stalks, and salt into a food processor or mini chopper.
Blend everything until it becomes a smooth paste.
Set that paste aside for now.
Prepare the Beef:
In a large bowl, take the beef chunks and toss them together with the cornflour, salt, and black pepper.
Make sure each piece is well coated — the cornflour helps thicken the sauce later.
Sear the Beef:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-based pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the coated beef. Let it sit without stirring for a few minutes so it can brown well and develop a crust.
Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring or flipping as needed, doing it in batches if necessary so you don’t crowd the pan.
As the beef browns, if bits stick to the bottom, scrape them up — this adds flavor to the curry.
Add the Massaman Paste:
Lower the heat to medium.
Stir the Massaman paste into the seared beef, mixing so the beef is coated.
Cook for around 2–3 minutes to let the aromatics in the paste bloom and deepen.
Simmer the Curry:
Pour in the beef stock and the canned coconut milk. Stir well so that any browned bits from the bottom of the pan get mixed in.
Once everything is stirred, cover the pan.
Let it simmer gently on low heat for 1 hour 45 minutes. (Alternatively, you can place the covered pan into a preheated oven at about 160 °C (320 °F) and cook it there.)
Add the Potatoes:
After the long simmer, add the baby new potatoes into the curry.
Continue cooking (still covered) for another 25–30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender (you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork).
Finish the Curry:
Once the potatoes are cooked, stir in the lime juice.
If you’re using turkey bacon, you can either sprinkle crisped bacon on top or stir it into the curry for extra texture.
If you want to include chicken ham, add it now (or earlier, depending on how cooked / soft you like it).
Serve:
Serve the curry over steamed rice.
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves, chopped red chilies, and lime wedges.
Optionally, add extra turkey bacon on top for crunch.