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Our answer to the best thai curry changed last weekend, when we tried this amazingly delicious Thai Masamman Curry made with “roasted dry ingredients” and other spices at home (thanks to one of our dear friend Pooja who forced us not to use any readymade curry paste and instead make it all from scratch). So glad we didn’t take any shortcut and ended up discovering our newest hot fav food! Its popular mainstream siblings red and green thai curries are definitely house favourites too but this one gets added now.

Massaman curry is not an original thai curry, but more of an acquired food in Thailand from migrant tribes from the Indian subcontinent. Cumin and other spices are the key ingredients. Best served with thai jasmine rice, this makes for a sumptuous meal.

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Ingredients: (yields for 4 persons)

Dry spices for paste

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp whole black pepper
• 3 dry red chillies (increase by 1 if you like it super hot)
• 2 cloves, 1 cardamom
• 2 tablespoon peanut

Veggies for paste

• 2 medium sized onion
• 7-8 garlic cloves
• Half spoon ginger paste or thinly sliced galangal

Vegetables and others for curry

• Veggies of choice: zucchini, beans, broccoli, baby corn, cherry tomato (optional), carrot, potato, pumpkin, basil
• 5-6 sliced mushrooms
• 150 gm paneer / firm tofu (for vegan)
• Salt to taste
• 1-1.5 tsp turmeric powder
• Veg stock (2 cubes of knorr veg stock in 200 ml water or you can prepare stock at home using lemongrass, cinnamon stick, bay leaves)
• 200 ml coconut milk
• Oil
• Basil leaves

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Procedure:

Curry paste:

• Dry roast all the dry spices for paste from the above, then add ginger, onion and garlic and roast until golden brown
• Cool and grind to make the curry paste

Curry:

• Semi cook the veggies (remember to keep the crunch in them and also these will be further cooked in the curry) by microwaving for 45 sec or on gas
• In a pan, add oil and add curry paste to it. Stir for 3-4 min. Add semi-cooked veggies to it, add salt and cook for 3-4 min
• Add coconut milk, vegetable stock and turmeric. We put vegetable stock in the end so there is aromatic fragrance in there and it doesn’t get cooked. Add basil leaves
• Add tofu/paneer
•  Simmer for 2-3 min and then serve with jasmine rice