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Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry

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Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry – Rich, fall-apart slow cooked beef curry in a spicy homemade sauce with new potatoes. Perfect comfort food! Make extra and freeze some for a busy weeknight.
Overhead photo of Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry in a bowl served with Rice topped with thin strips of chilli

If you were stranded on a desert island and you had only one type of food to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

For me, I think it has to be Thai food.  Chocolate is probably a serious contender but that only satisfies my sweet tooth.  Thai on the other hand? Hmmmm the sweet/spicy/zesty/creamy combinations are endless.  I love a quick green thai chicken curry for a midweek meal, but a slow cooked curry with lovely juicy chunks of meat that fall apart and the tastiest saucy potatoes? Now that’s something else entirely!!

Close up photo of Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry in a bowl served with Rice topped with thin strips of chilli

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I made the massaman curry paste for this meal from scratch.  It’s pretty simple to do, but shop bought curry paste works really well too.

I’ve used Massaman, Korma and Madras pastes (yes, I know the last two are Indian rather than Thai, it was what I had in at the time) and they all tasted great.

If you do go with a shop bought paste, I’d recommend you reduce the amount to about 4 tbsp, as shop bought it usually more concentrated.

Overhead photo of Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry in a bowl served with Rice topped with thin strips of chilli and spring onion. Fresh coriander in the background.

Also, if you’re making this for kids or people who don’t like hot food, you can leave the chillies out of the paste, and just throw some chopped chillies in at the end, once you’ve dished out the non-chilli portions.  It doesn’t give quite the same depth of heat, but is a good compromise rather than making two pots of curry.

The Beef Massaman Curry Recipe:

Beef Massaman Curry

Slow Cooked Beef Massaman Curry - Rich, fall-apart beef in a spicy homemade sauce with new potatoes. Perfect comfort food!
4.8 from 5 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Any Time Of the year, Big Batch Cooking, Family Meal
Servings: 6 people
Author: Nicky @ Kitchensanctuary.com

Ingredients

Massaman Paste - makes about 6 tbsp:

  • 1 chopped red onion
  • 3 red chillies roughly chopped (or use fewer chillies, depending on how hot you like it)
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 sticks of lemongrass outer leaves removed, softer inside chopped finely
  • 5 cm piece ginger peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste optional, also it's generally gluten free, but best to check
  • 3 tsp fish sauce ,make sure it's a gluten free brand if needed
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • small bunch fresh coriander/cilantro stalks you'll be using the leaves later to serve, so just wrap them in a bit of damp tissue to keep them fresh
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Other curry ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1.5 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1 kg braising beef chopped into chunks
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 400 ml beef stock - 2 stock cubes with water is fine use kallo beef bouillon cubes for gluten free
  • 400 ml can coconut milk it's usually gluten free, but double check
  • 2 large red or white potatoes peeled and chopped into chunks
  • Juice of 1 lime

To Serve:

  • Boiled rice
  • Chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
  • Chopped red chillies
  • Lime wedges
UK (metric) - **Convert to US Measures**

Instructions

  • Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper and blend until it forms a paste. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan. Toss the chopped beef in the cornflour, salt and pepper. Fry the meat in the oil for about 5 mins on medium to high heat. You can do this in batches, but I'm a bit too lazy for that. I find that if you put the meat in, and leave it alone for a few minutes before you stir it, you'll get a nice dark colour on the beef. The beef will probably stick a bit to the pan, so you might need to give it a little scrape with a spatula.
  • Once the beef has cooked for 5 mins, turn down the heat a little and add in the spice paste you made earlier. Give it a stir to coat the beef and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then add in the beef stock and coconut milk. Give everything a stir (make sure you give any bits stuck at the bottom of the pan a scrape), place the lid on and gently simmer on a low heat for 1 hour 45 mins (alternatively you can place in the oven at about 160C/320F). Give it a stir every so often. If it's starting to look dry you can add in some more beef stock or water.
  • After the 1 hour 45 mins, add in the potatoes, give it a stir and cook for a further 25 - 30 mins until the potatoes are tender (this is a good time to start cooking your rice too).
  • Take out of the oven and mix in the lime juice. Serve the curry on a bed of rice with a sprinkling of coriander/cilantro, fresh chillies and a wedge of lime.

Recipe Notes

Can I make Massaman Curry Gluten Free?

Yes! Make sure you use gluten free stock cubes (I like Kallo Gluten free beef stock cubes)
Also check you're using gluten free fish sauce, shrimp paste and coconut milk.
.

Can I freeze Massaman Curry?

Yes, any leftovers of this curry can be cooled, covered and frozen. Then defrosted and reheated in the microwave until piping hot.
.

Can I use a shop bought paste instead of making my own?

Yes - although shop bought pastes are usually stronger. So use about 4tbsp instead of the 6tsp of homemade paste. Also check it's a gluten free brand if needed!
Nutritional information is per serving, not including rice.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition Facts
Beef Massaman Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 569 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 48%
Saturated Fat 20g 100%
Cholesterol 139mg 46%
Sodium 962mg 40%
Potassium 985mg 28%
Total Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 3g
Protein 50g 100%
Vitamin A 4.7%
Vitamin C 52.8%
Calcium 5.3%
Iron 42.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #kitchensanctuary on Instagram!

This recipe was first published in May 2014. Updated in June 2018 with new photos and cook’s tips.
Like the new photos? Ok (cringe) here’s the original photo: I was so chuffed with that photo back in May 2014! Eek! Hopefully I’ve improved!!

Equipment:

In order to make this Massaman Curry recipe you will need:

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  2. I want to make the beef brisket recipe with the this Massaman sauce as you suggested – do I just supplement the curry paste for the marinated and the tomatoes with the stick and coconut milk?

    Reply

    • Hi Hayley,
      I’d follow the Massaman curry recipe, but swap the beef chunks for brisket. No need to coat the brisket in cornflour/cornstarch before searing it, but do season it with a good grind of salt and pepper.
      Cook in the oven at 140C/275F for about 3 hours (for a .75kg-1kg brisket) – adding the potatoes for the last 30 mins. Keep an eye on it for the last hour or so to ensure the liquid doesn’t dry. You can add a splash of stock or water from the kettle if it does start to dry a little.

      Reply

  4. Hi,made the curry with chicken and it was absolute delicious.Next time would add in some more chillies to give it spicy taste. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Recently, I discover your website and your recipes and my first try was the ORANGE CHICKEN.
    Everyone at the table enjoyed it.
    What a success!

    Reply

  6. Hi,

    I’ve tried a few of your recipes and they’re all fantastic so far and this is next on my list. I was hoping to cook this in the slow cooker, how long would you recommend to cook it for on either high or low settings?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Mike, I’d recommend cooking this for 3-4 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high. You can add the potatoes in at the beginning, or if you want them to be slightly firmer, add them in halfway through the cooking time.
      Cooking in the oven reduces the sauce more than in the slow cooker, so you may also want to reduce the amount of stock by around 180ml-200ml (3/4 cup). It’s a good idea to keep an eye on it if you’re going for this less-liquidy version – just to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

      Reply

  8. It’s funny I have just spent this week creating a bunch of Thai recipe for my July posts. I didn’t do a massaman curry though. This sounds delicious, it’s one of my favorite curries. And your photos look great! I cringe every time i look back on mine too – I’ve got some god-awful horrendous ones!

    Reply

  9. Hi there, if I was to put this in the slow cooker, what setting and time would you recommend? And when to add the potatoes in the slow cooker?

    Reply

    • Hi Gretel, I’d recommend cooking this for 3-4 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high. You can add the potatoes in at the beginning, or if you want them to be slightly firmer, add them in halfway through the cooking time.
      Cooking in the oven reduces the sauce more than in the slow cooker, so you may also want to reduce the amount of stock by around 180ml-200ml (3/4 cup). It’s a good idea to keep an eye on it if you’re going for this less-liquidy version – just to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

      Reply

    • Hi Amber, I’d recommend cooking this for 3-4 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high. You can add the potatoes in at the beginning, or if you want them to be slightly firmer, add them in halfway through the cooking time.
      Cooking in the oven reduces the sauce more than in the slow cooker, so you may also want to reduce the amount of stock by around 180ml-200ml (3/4 cup). It’s a good idea to keep an eye on it if you’re going for this less-liquidy version – just to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

      Reply

  11. The best curry I’ve ever had at home. I added a few extra chillies to the paste mix because I like my curry quite warm, and wow what an incredible dish!

    Reply