Massaman Curry Recipe – Instant Pot & Stove
Easy 30-minute Thai Massaman Curry recipe loaded with tender chicken, colorful vegetables, and a rich coconut sauce for a sweet, spicy, and creamy dish.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 524kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- ½ inch ginger grated or pureed
- 2 cloves garlic grated or pureed
- 4 oz Maesri Thai Masaman Curry (1 can)
- 2 medium carrots peeled, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion cut in cubes or sliced
- 14 oz. baby corn (fresh or canned) cut into ½-inch pieces
- 28 oz. coconut milk (2 cans, full-fat)
Add after cooking the curry
- 1 cup french beans cut in bite size pieces
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- A light squeeze of lime before serving
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Saute chicken: Preheat the Instant Pot on Saute mode and add oil, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and chicken.
- Add veggies and coconut milk: Sauté for 30-45 seconds then add carrots, onions, and baby corn. Stir in coconut milk and mix well.
- Pressure Cook: Wait till the curry starts bubbling. This prevents the coconut milk from curdling under pressure. Cancel Saute, close the lid, and pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Release pressure: Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 mins, then release manually. Open the lid after the pin drops.
- Add delicate veggies: Turn on Saute. Add green beans and simmer until they cook to your preferred doneness. Now add broccoli florets and let them cook in the pot for a few minutes. Cancel Saute.
- Finish: Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish and serve with rice of choice.
Stovetop Recipe
- Saute: Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, curry paste, and chicken, and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add carrots, onions, green beans, and baby corn, and stir.
- Add coconut milk: Shake the coconut cans before opening and pour into the pan scrapping all the cream from the sides of the can. Stir well.
- Simmer: When the curry starts bubbling, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked and tender.
- Add delicate vegetables: Add the broccoli florets and let them cook in the curry for 3 minutes or until they cook to your desired tenderness.
- Finish and garnish: Turn off the heat and squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish. Garnish with chopped Thai or regular basil and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Curry Paste: I prefer Maesri brand curry paste since it is vegetarian (no shrimp paste) and tastes authentic. Other popular brands include Thai Kitchen and Mae Ploy (contains shrimp). Alternatively, use red curry paste with the addition of a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin powder.
- Coconut Milk: Any good thick full-fat coconut milk will work in this curry. If you use light coconut milk, please know that your curry will not be creamy.
- Spice tolerance test: When making this curry for the first time, start by incorporating 1 tablespoon of the curry paste into the coconut milk, taste it, and then work your way upwards.
- Customize the Vegetables: Other veggies that go well are squash chunks, zucchini, and snow peas. You can even add any frozen veggie medley you have on hand. If adding potatoes, add them with the chicken so they cook through.
- Make it Vegetarian: You can make this curry 100% vegetarian by swapping the chicken with extra-firm tofu chunks or paneer cubes.
- Make it with Shrimp: Since shrimp cooks pretty quickly, cook the curry first, open the lid, and then add the shrimp, along with the beans. Simmer on saute mode for 3-4 mins, or until the shrimp cooks through.
- Make it with Beef: Use 1-inch beef stew pieces and increase the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. Skip the baby corn and add it towards the end along with green beans. Follow the remaining instructions.
- Make pot-in-pot rice: To make a one-pot meal, cook the rice using the pot-in-pot method along with the curry. Check out the detailed instructions above.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6803IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 6mg