Massaman Curry

Massaman curry is beef simmered low and slow in a mild, warmly spiced coconut curry with potato and roasted peanuts. It is Thailand's gentlest curry, built on cinnamon, cardamom and other dried spices that reached the kingdom's kitchens through Persian and Muslim Malay sea trade rather than growing anywhere nearby.

What it really is

A curry paste built on dried, warm spices — utterly unlike the fresh chilli-and-herb pastes behind red or green curry — simmers into coconut milk until fragrant, then takes on beef, potato and a fistful of roasted peanuts for a long, gentle braise. The meat cooks until it's fully tender and the sauce reduces into something thick and deeply spiced, closer in feel to a slow-cooked stew than a quick weeknight curry.

The spice base marks it as different from the start. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg have no roots in Thai soil; their presence is a direct trace of the maritime trade that carried Persian and Malay cooking into the royal kitchens of old Siam, which is exactly why massaman tastes so unlike any other curry on a Thai menu.

How it is served

• In a bowl with steamed jasmine rice.
• Topped with a scatter of extra roasted peanuts.
• As a main course, rarely rushed given the long simmer it needs.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the peanuts plainly, since they're structural to the dish, not a garnish.
• Say if chicken is offered as an alternative to beef, since both are common.
• Note that it's the mildest curry on the menu, since guests expecting Thai-curry heat are often pleasantly surprised.