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Massaman curry has been a classic recipe on HTK and a favourite of so many, and now you can make the curry entirely from scratch! In this video I also show you my new favourite technique/tools for making curry paste WITHOUT a mortar and pestle—the immersion blender! It makes a perfect consistency paste without needing to add any extra liquid. If you make a lot of curry paste, it will come in super handy! It's also great for soups and smoothies as well.
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Massaman Curry Paste Recipe พริกแกงมัสมั่น
- Yield: Makes enough for 2 of my massaman curry recipe (serves 8)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- ½ tsp white peppercorns
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 40g mild, dried red chilies, seeds removed
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped shallots
- ⅓ cup chopped lemongrass, use only the bottom half of the stalk
- ¼ cup chopped galangal
- 4 cilantro roots
- ¼ cup chopped garlic
- 2 tsp fermented shrimp paste (gapi)
Check out the immersion blender I use to make the curry paste here
Instructions
Combine all dry spices in a coffee grinder and blitz until fine; remove from grinder and set aside. Grind the dried chilies in the coffee grinder until fine and set aside.
Using an immersion blender: Add all remaining ingredients into the blender jug and blend into a rough paste. Add all the ground dry ingredients and keep blending, scraping in between as needed, until smooth.
Using a mortar and pestle: Pound lemongrass, galangal and cilantro roots along with the salt until it becomes a fine paste. Add shallots and garlic and pound until fine, adding the dry spices as needed to help absorb moisture and increase friction. Once it is a fine paste, add any remaining dry spices and the shrimp paste and pound to mix well.
Ready to make the curry? Here's my massaman curry recipe!
Keywords: massaman curry, beef curry, slow cooker, curry
Giselle
Hello! I wanted to make this paste but can i please do without the garlic, onions, and without the peppers? I have acid reflux so i cant consume these items. Can I still make the paste without these items??
Giselle
I also wanted to ask how much dried already finely ground white pepper would I use? I dont intend to buy whole white peppercorn since i already have them ground so how much should i use if im using dried already ground white peppercorns?
Pailin Chongchitnant
Hi Giselle, I'm sorry to hear about the acid reflux! Unfortunately the peppers, garlic and shallots are main components of the curry. Without them, yes you can still make a paste, but your curry will not taste like a massaman curry but more like a spiced, coconut milk stew. It may still taste good, so given no other options it may be worth a try. Re white pepper you can use the same amount of ground as whole peppercorns.
Giselle
i have acid reflux so can i do without the garlic, without the peppers, and without the onions please? I would end up puking if i had it but i still want t make massaman curry and the pasta for the curry.
Anja Sadler
Hi Pailin!
I have to confess that I had the same chilly problem like some others too. I made a Khao Soi paste before and it was way too spicy with the small dried chillies I have. So I bought some bigger ones (Thai) in the store, assuming these are the "right ones". But even since they were tagged with "large" and are about two to three times bigger than the bird eye chillies, they weren't less spicy. So I had to make a second portion of the Massaman paste, without chillies and mix the first and the second batch. The paste is still too spicy for my taste, but it will work I guess. Seems you can't get large, mild chillies somewhere else than in Thailand. The question is now how to substitute the mild ones. Maybe red peperoni?
Since I live in Germany the supply of chillies is limited...
Pailin Chongchitnant
Hi! Sorry to hear that! Here in N. America, large, mild chilies are quite common in stores that sell Latin American products, so I would start there if you have access to such a store. I use guajillo peppers and they are totally mild. Will add this note to the recipe itself! Also, if you are working with new chilies that you've not worked with before, give it a little taste first to see how spicy it is so you don't go in completely blind. Cut it open and just lick the inside, and that should give you an idea how how spicy it is.
Alana
Hello!
Is the Cilantro root absolutely necessary or is there a substitute? I’m in Sydney Australia and we call cilantro coriander and I can’t find anywhere that sells the root!
Thanks!
Bernie
Ground Corriander is the root, which I am sure is available. B
Bernie
Ground Corriander is the root, which I am sure is available. B However I could be totally wrong and Ground Corriander might just be the seads. B
Pailin Chongchitnant
Ground coriander is made from coriander seeds 🙂
Pailin Chongchitnant
You can substitute cilantro stems instead, 2 stems for each root 🙂
Jason
Absolutely love your show. Quick question. Could this same technique of grinding the chilis dry be used for your red and Panang curry’s as well? Also would the guajillo/árbol ratio also work for those. I can’t seem to find dried Thai chilis anywhere in the Seattle area so I’ve been trying to figure out the chili subs. Thank you in advance.
★★★★★
Pailin Chongchitnant
Yes this ratio/technique would work with any curry pastes that use red dried chilies.
Michelle Chak
Can I substitute red chillies with red chilli powder? If yes, how much powder in grams to use?
Pailin Chongchitnant
Theoretically yes, but you have to make sure it is mild. You'd probably use about 25-30g, removing 10-15g for the weight of the seeds and stem which the chili powder won't have. But this amount might be too much depending on how spicy your chili powder is (and your tolerance) so maybe start with less, and with chili powder it's easy to just add later if you need more.
Rachel
Hello! Would a normal size cuisinart work too?
Pailin Chongchitnant
I assume you're talking about a food processor? Food processors do not work well for curry pastes because it doesn't get it as fine, unfortunately.
Pailin Chongchitnant
I'm sorry to hear! But yes 40g is accurate. I've not had any issues or any complaints from others about the spiciness. But chilies vary greatly, so if the type you're using is too hot for you, then use less or choose another kind. You don't want to reduce the amount too much because chilies don't just give heat, they also give flavour, so without enough chilies you won't have the right flavour.
Amy
How long can you store the curry paste for in the fridge?
Adam The HTK Intern
Hi Amy! You can keep curry paste in the fridge for about a week - otherwise I'd just freeze it 🙂 Cheers!
Terri Harris
Can anchovies-paste, or any other form be substituted for the shrimp paste?
Adam The HTK Intern
Hi Terri! I just asked and she said "yeah that works" 🙂 Cheers! Adam