Mussamun Curry Recipe

Prepare dried chiles

Remove stems and most seeds from dried red chilies. Place chilies in a small bowl and cover with hot water to soak for 15–20 minutes until softened. Drain and reserve a few tablespoons of soaking liquid.

Toast whole spices

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the whole cloves, green cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Crush lightly with a mortar & pestle or grind briefly in a spice grinder.

Blend paste

In a food processor or blender, combine drained soaked chilies, shallots, garlic, sliced galangal, sliced lemongrass, chopped coriander root/stem, ground coriander, ground cumin, white pepper, toasted/crushed whole spices, shrimp paste (if using), kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon neutral oil. Add 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved chili soaking liquid or water to help blend. Process until a smooth, thick paste forms, scraping down sides as needed. This makes roughly 3/4–1 cup paste.

Brown the meat

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, 4–6 minutes. Remove browned meat to a plate and set aside.

Cook paste

Reduce heat to medium. Add the prepared curry paste to the pot and fry in the remaining oil for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until aromatic and slightly darker. If paste sticks, add 1 tablespoon coconut milk to loosen.

Add coconut milk and simmer

Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine with the paste. Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the browned beef to the pot, add bay leaf if using, and pour in the water or stock. Bring to a low simmer, cover partially, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour for beef (or 25–30 minutes for chicken) until meat is tender.

Add potatoes and onions

Add the potato pieces and sliced onion to the pot. Continue simmering, uncovered or partially covered, for 15–20 minutes more until potatoes are tender and sauce has slightly thickened.

Season and finish

Stir in palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce. Taste and adjust balance: more sugar to sweeten, tamarind or lime for acidity, or fish sauce for saltiness. Add roasted peanuts and gently simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through. If sauce is too thin, increase heat and reduce a few minutes; if too thick, add up to 1/4 cup water or stock.

Serve

Spoon Mussamun curry into a serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves and extra roasted peanuts if desired. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and lime wedges on the side.