Thai massaman curry is the perfect blend of spices with medium heat and both sweet and savory flavors. I think beef is the best meat for this curry because the flavor tastes great with the peanuts and potatoes.
The Curry
Bake, peel, and dice:
2 medium potatoes (about 3/4 lb. or 12 oz. total)
Set the potatoes aside for now. The type of potato doesn’t really matter. I usually have Russets.
Stir fry until tender:
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 T. massaman curry paste, Maesri brand
a few T. of coconut milk
When the curry paste is well dissolved, add the following:
2 cans coconut milk
3 T. fish sauce
1 T. ground lemongrass or 2 stalks fresh*
2 T. brown sugar
juice of 1 lime or 1 T. lime juice
1 lb. beef steak or roast, cut into 1-inch strips. Sirloin works well.
When the beef is almost cooked through, add and cook until heated through:
the cooked potatoes from earlier
3/4 c. chopped peanuts
Once the beef has finished cooking, serve the Thai massaman curry over rice.
*To prepare fresh lemongrass, pound it with the flat side of a knife until it smells fragrant. Cut the lemongrass into several pieces (2 inches long). Remove the lemongrass after cooking the curry.
The Rice
In the Instant Pot, cook 3 c. rice and 4 1/2 c. water at high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release. This is for regular rice. If you’d like jasmine rice, check out this article.
Find more heavenly, international dishes here.


Thai Massaman Curry With Beef
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
The Curry
- 2 potatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons massaman curry paste Maesri
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground lemongrass or 2 stalks fresh
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 lime
- 1 pound beef sirloin or other lean cut, 1-inch strips
- 3/4 cup peanuts chopped
The Rice
- 3 cups rice
- 4 1/2 cups water
Instructions
The Curry
- Bake, peel, and dice the potatoes. Set them aside for now.2 potatoes
- In a large pot or wok, stir fry the onion until tender. Add the curry paste and a few tablespoons of coconut milk. Stir until the paste dissolves.1 onion, 2-3 tablespoons massaman curry paste
- Add the curry ingredients and cook until the beef is mostly done.2 cans coconut milk, 3 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon ground lemongrass, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 pound beef
- Add the cooked potatoes and chopped peanuts. Cook until the meat is done and everything is hot.3/4 cup peanuts
The Rice
- Cook the rice in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes with a quick release.3 cups rice, 4 1/2 cups water
- Serve the curry over the rice.