While on vacation in Thailand, we took a few cooking classes, and now my culinary palate is forever changed! I've always enjoyed classics like Pad Thai and Pineapple Fried Rice, but I fell in love with warm and creamy curries!
Massaman Curry is just perfect for a chilly Fall or Winter evening. It's not overly spicy, but it is full of warm spices like cinnamon, clove, cardamom and bay. Typically, you'd find slices of chicken or beef in your Massaman, but these ginger, scallion meatballs are a perfect protein simmered in this luscious curry.
For this particular curry, you can find most ingredients in your local grocery store. But I'd recommend seeking out a nearby Asian market to track down a good quality curry paste. And no, red curry paste is not interchangeable with massaman as most Americanized recipes might lead you to believe. Red curry paste is fine and dandy, but it has a very differently flavor profile than Massaman. Curry paste can keep in your fridge for months, so one trip to the Asian market should last you for a good long while. Of course, you can go hard in the paint and make the curry paste yourself, but I find the store-bought stuff to have plenty depth of flavor without all the extra work!
While you're at the Asian market, I'd recommend grabbing some Palm Sugar. It's shelf stable and just about every traditional Thai recipe will call for the stuff - it won't go to waste! If you're in a pinch, you can substitute brown sugar. Note, granulated coconut sugar is not the equivalent of Palm Sugar.
To keep this meal relatively balanced, I like to throw in a handful of long beans of green beans. Long beans would be more traditional - they tend to be a bit crunchier than green beans in my opinion. If you don't care for beans, simply exclude. Maybe instead serve alongside steamed broccoli - those little florets are perfect for sopping up delicious curry!
Massaman Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
· 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
· ¼ cup scallions, chopped
· 1 tbsp ginger, grated
· 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
· Zest of ½ lime
· 1 egg
· ½ tsp salt
· ¼ tsp black pepper
· ½ tsp garlic powder
· 1lb lean ground chicken or beef
For the curry
· 2 tbsp canola oil
· 3 tbsp massaman curry paste
· 2 small gold potatoes, peeled and diced
· ½ onion, sliced thin
· 2 cups coconut milk
· ¼ cup palm sugar
· 1 ½ tbsp tamarind paste
· 3 tbsp fish sauce
· ¼ cup roasted peanuts
· 2 dried bay leaves
· 1 cinnamon stick
· 3 cardamom pods
· 1 cup long beans (or green beans), chopped
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs but the chicken or beef. Once the bread crumbs are moist, fold in the ground meat. Do not over mix especially if using beef to avoid tough meatballs. Using a small cookie scoop, spoon meatballs onto a lined sheet pan or plate. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry meatballs on all sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Over medium-low heat, fry the curry paste for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the potatoes and onions. Sautee for 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce. Stir until palm sugar has melted and curry paste has blended into the milk. Reduce heat to low and stir in peanuts, bay, cinnamon and cardamom.
Add meatballs and cover pan. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan. Add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. You should be able to easily pierce the potato with a fork.
Serve over steamed jasmine rice.
Serves 4
Gluten Free Friendly!
Swap the bread crumbs for gluten free bread crumbs!
Comments