Lamb Massaman

Lamb Massaman Curry

September 20, 2016 2 Comments

See also Beef Massaman.
Lamb massaman curry is a truly luxurious dish. Lamb Shanks cooked in a massaman sauce become meltingly tender and the spices blend so harmoniously with the lamb it truly is a perfect match. This is an oven cooked dish requiring around 2 ½ hours cooking time. If you are thinking of using a slow cooker, then please check out this link as the recipe would need to be adapted. This is not an everyday curry so personally, I would stick with the oven for best results.

For 2 lamb shanks I'm using one pouch of massaman paste, 1 can of coconut milk and around 200g of small potatoes. A small handful of peanuts, you can either shell them or if you only have salted peanuts you can rinse off the salt and leave to dry on kitchen towels. Of course if you have raw peanuts you can pan roast them for a few minutes. You will also need an onion if you want to garnish it as in the above picture. The pastes are complete but it is always a good idea to have a little lime juice to hand to adjust sweetness, if needed, to your personal taste at the end of cooking. You also adjust saltiness by adding a little more fish sauce or salt if required.

Make sure you’re using the “right” type of coconut milk as it will make or break this or any other coconut based curry. Quick guide here, Coconut Milk Summary or if you would like to see the difference between different brands of coconut milk the full article is here, Cooking Thai Curry with Coconut Milk. Just use half a can to start with, if it has separated in the can to a thick part at the top of the can then use the top part. You can add the remaining coconut liquid later depending on how thick you want your curry to be.

Don't peel the potatoes. Just wash and rub dry.Halve them and cook in vegetable oil until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
Saute potatoes

Fry the thinly sliced onion (if using) and drain and dry on kitchen paper. Saute onions

Add the lamb shanks to the oil and cook on all sides until nicely browned.

Lamb massaman curry cook lamb shanks
Place lamb shanks in casserole and surround with the potatoes, some of the fried onion and peanuts.
Lamb massaman curry mix ingredients
Heat the massaman sauce in a pan and add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Lamb massaman curry sauce
Pour onto the lamb and potatoes.
Lamb massaman curry add sauce
Top up with about a can of water until the meat and potatoes are covered.

Lamb massaman curry add water
Cover and cook for around 2 ½ hours at 170C. At the end of cooking time check meat is tender, if not then put back in oven for another 30 minutes. Stir the pan to mix in any oil that may have separated or skim off some oil if there is too much. Let the lamb rest in the covered casserole pot for 10 minutes before serving. Note, this can be cooked on the hob under a very low heat but you will have to check and stir from time to time to prevent sticking. I find that the oven works better for me.

Enjoy!

Lamb massaman curry serving presentation
UPDATE. Comments box added.

2 Responses

Nitsa Raymond

January 23, 2017

Hi Katrina,

I have permanent withdrawal symptoms for Bangkok so join the club! Can’t wait to get back in a couple of months time.
Anyway, I think Massaman would work great with your chicken following the Lamb shank recipe, will cook quite a bit quicker though so would check it after 45 mins or so.
Hope you enjoy it and let us know how it went!
Nitsa

Katrina

January 23, 2017

Hi! I’m so happy to have discovered you. I recently returned from Bangkok and have withdrawal for their curries! And now that I found you I promptly bought all of your curry pastes. :)
Quick question. I have half a chicken (bones in) which I’d love to turn into one of your beautiful curries. Can I use it with the Massaman paste instead of lamb? Or, can I follow these instructions but use your yellow curry paste instead?

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in Recipe Blog

Butternut Squash Chicken Curry Nam Prik Red Curry

Thai Red Chicken Curry with Butternut Squash

October 28, 2017

Thai red chicken curry with butternut squash is a classic and a great favourite of mine. The colouring effect of the squash results in a curry that is orange rather than red; however it is still very definitely a Thai red curry. And if that sounds confusing, what you have to know is that in Thai when we refer to a red or green curry we are talking about the colour of the chilies we use to make the curry paste, not the colour of the finished curry. You can chop and change the ratio of chicken ...

Thai Chicken Sate Thai Street Food

Thai Chicken Satay

July 21, 2017 1 Comment

The mere mention of the words “Chicken Satay” to someone who has travelled in Southeast Asia is enough to bring that far away look into their eyes, and for good reason. There has to be something special about a dish that can be found throughout the countries of the region, taking on national and local culinary characteristics on its travels and so often delivering on an incredible taste experience. It is invariably at its best as a street food rather than in a restaurant. Frequently, the Sata...

Thai Duck Red Curry with Pineapple

December 21, 2016 3 Comments

Red curry paste is the most versatile of all the Thai pastes, you can use it to make Thai fishcakes, in stir fries or marinades, in almost any dish where you want to add that Thai taste. For me though this is where it comes into its own, with duck or any game bird it makes for a magical dish. We had goose this Christmas and the leftover meat ended up in a red curry that disappeared all too soon ! I’m not normally a fan of pineapple in savoury dishes, (put it on my pizza at your own risk) but ...