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Massaman Beef and Potato Curry

Massaman Beef and Potato Curry reads umami 8.5, richness 7.6 and funk & ferment 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 2 hr 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 9.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.5 · Richness 7.6 · Funk & Ferment 5.3 · Nutty 5.3 · Salinity 5.2 · Sourness 4.5 · Citrus 4.5 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Sweetness 3.8 · Allium 3.7 · Warm Spice 3.4 · Earthy 2.0 · Floral 1.9 · Heat 1.7 · Fruity 1.5 · Bitterness 0.9 · Herbaceous 0.9

What's in it (16)

• boneless beef chuck roast — 907 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• yellow curry — 44 g
• cinnamon — 5 g
• cardamom — 3 g
• cloves — 1 g
• coconut milk — 765 g
• natural peanut butter — 73 g
• fish sauce — 44 g
• light-brown sugar — 38 g
• lime juice — 30 g
• yellow new potatoes — 454 g
• spanish style peanuts — 79 g
• salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 34 min (2 hr 32 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 198.1 kcal, 10.6 g protein, 14.7 g fat, 7.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Pat the beef dry and season it all over with half the salt. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering, then sear the beef in two batches until deeply browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, and saute until softened and browned at the edges, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the curry paste, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves; cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens a shade and turns fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
6. Whisk in the peanut butter, fish sauce, and brown sugar until the peanut butter fully dissolves into the sauce, then bring to a bare simmer.
7. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise until the beef is fork-tender, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes so nothing catches on the bottom.
8. Add the potatoes, re-cover, and continue simmering until they're fork-tender, 25-30 minutes.
9. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the lime juice, and season with the remaining salt to taste.
10. Ladle the curry into bowls and scatter the chopped peanuts over the top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Massaman Curry (Gaeng Massaman) — Thai
• Yellow Curry Chicken and Potatoes — Thai
• Thai Coconut Turkey Meatballs in Red Curry — Thai
• Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken (Khao Soi Style) — Thai
• Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, richness, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.