Massaman Curry

Method

1. Trim the fat from the chicken and cut it into 4 cm pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 cm cubes, and cut the onion into 2 cm wedges. Open the coconut milk without shaking it and spoon off the thick cream from the top; keep it separate.

2. Set a 20 cm pot on medium heat, add the oil and the coconut cream and cook for 3 min, stirring, until it bubbles and clear oil starts to seep out at the edges. Add the curry paste and fry for 2 min, until it smells strongly fragrant and turns a shade darker. This builds the flavour base of the curry, so keep stirring so it does not catch.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 1 tspCoconut milk (unsweetened, unshaken) 120 mlMassaman curry paste 2½ tbsp

   medium heat

3. Add the chicken, stir to coat it in the paste and cook on medium heat for 3 min, until the outside turns white.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 g

   medium heat

4. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, potatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamom. Bring to the boil on medium-high heat, then turn down to medium-low heat, half-cover and simmer for 17 min, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk (unsweetened, unshaken) 280 mlChicken stock (or water) 150 mlPotatoes 240 gBay leaves 2Cinnamon stick (5 cm piece) 1Green cardamom pods 3

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

5. Add the onion, peanuts, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind and simmer on medium-low heat for 6 min more, until a chopstick slides easily into the potatoes, the onion is translucent and the sauce has thickened.

   Add in this stepOnion 120 gRoasted peanuts (unsalted) 30 gFish sauce 1 tbspPalm sugar (or light brown sugar) 1 tbspTamarind paste 1 tbsp

   medium-low heat

6. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes so the flavours settle. Taste and balance sweet, salty and tangy with a little more fish sauce or tamarind. Pick out the cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves and serve with hot jasmine rice.