Chicken Massaman Curry

Yesterday I was walking and talking in a park.  I was not looking at my path.  My foot fell into a whole.  I fell and twisted my ankle.

It hurt a little, but I assumed I could just walk it off.  It wasn't a big deal, but I had to walk a few miles that day. Today my angle is stiff and puffy.  Woe is me.  

I didn't know the background of this curry when I decided to make it.  It has a fascinating history. Though this curry is Thai, the word Massaman is not a native Thai word.  It is thought that Massaman is an archaic form of the word Muslim.  It is a Thai dish with Persian influence.  

Because of it's Muslim roots, it is usually made with chicken, but sometimes it is made with other types of meat.  The first recipe was published in 1889, and it was entitled chicken Massaman curry with bitter orange juice.  

There are spices in Massaman curry paste that are not in other Thai curries.  These spices include cardamom, clove, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace.  These spices were brought to Thailand in the 17th century by foreign traders.

In 2011, this dish was voted the most delicious dish in the world.  That is high praise indeed.

I used a curry recipe from allrecipes.com as my inspiration but made many alterations.  I added turmeric, tomatoes, and garlic.  I also used more curry paste.

The ingredients are 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1/4 cup Massaman curry paste, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 pounds chicken, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind paste, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 3 tomatoes, 3 potatoes, 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk, and 3 tablespoons lime juice.

I added the oil to a hot pan.  I sautéed the curry paste, garlic, and ginger in the hot oil for a couple of minutes.

I added the cubed chicken and cooked it until it was white on the outside.

I added brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, and turmeric.  I stirred the curry together.

I added the peeled and cubed potatoes and coconut milk.

I mixed in the peanut butter and diced tomatoes.  I let the curry simmer for twenty minutes.

I added the lime juice and let it simmer for another five minutes.

I served this curry over white rice.

This was a delightful curry.

 The spices were warm and aromatic.  The flavors were toothsome and exotic.

The potatoes were tender and the chicken was moist.

The curry sauce was flavorful and creamy.

It was a hearty, rib sticking meal too.

It was sweet, tart, nutty, and savory with tropical undertones.  It had many appetizing layers of flavor.

This was a delicious and satisfying meal.