Recipe Note
What Are Thai Massaman Spices?
Thai cuisine is one of the most exciting in the world. People here always cook with fresh ingredients, and they have a deep understanding of flavour and balance. Thai dishes might offer sweet, salty, savoury, spicy and umami ingredients on the same plate, turning an ordinary meal into a culinary experience.
Thailand is also greatly influenced by its neighbours, and you can see it in the curries. Although other countries are known for their colourful curries, Thailand has developed its own way of combining herbs and spices to bless any dish with the most flavourful and saucy curries.
One of the most exciting flavour combinations in the Thai repertoire is massaman, often used to make massaman curry. You might have heard about green, yellow and red Thai curries, but massaman curry is something else — it’s epic. Here’s all you need to know about Spice Masters’ Massaman Curry Spice Blend.
The History of Thai Massaman Curry
Massaman curry is mild compared to their curries in Thailand. It has a special place in everyone’s hearts thanks to its exciting flavour combination, not necessarily traditional in the country.
Massaman curry spices probably originated thanks to the spice trade, as Persian traders and travellers from the Indian subcontinent added their own ingredients to this hot pot of flavour and aroma.
The term massaman means Muslim, and it’s for the Persian influence on the dish. In a way, the dish was known as the Muslim-style curry. Experts believe massaman curry was already prevalent in the 17th century in Thailand. Other specialists recognise the influence of Malay and Indonesian cuisines in the dish, and it’s evident that massaman has changed through time and ingredients from all over the world have found their place in the spice combination.
Concisely, massaman curry is like nothing you’ll find in typical Thai cuisine, but, at the same time, it’s uniquely Thai. The curry paste might look similar to other curries you’ve seen, but the Muslim influence makes itself felt in the curry’s flavour, colour, texture and aroma. Today, massaman curry is enjoyed worldwide, and it’s more popular than ever.
How to use Thai Massaman Spices?
The best way of using Spice Master’s Massaman Curry Spice Blend is making your own massaman curry, of course, which is an authentic adventure!
To make massaman curry, you must fry the curry paste and combine it with coconut cream. A wide variety of meat and vegetables, including potatoes and onions, are common. So is tamarind paste or sugar to give a sweet taste to the curry. Sweet and savoury, tangy and rich in umami flavours, this is one curry you don’t want to miss, and learning how to make it at home can be a life-changing experience.
Another use for massaman curry spice is a rub for roast chicken. The white, juicy flesh gains colour and intense Thai flavours, making it an extraordinary comfort meal that’s ten times better than regular chicken. Experimentation is critical with spices, and you’ll surely find your own ways of using massaman spices.
What Goes into Thai Massaman Spices
The traditional recipe for massaman curry has changed over time. New world ingredients, such as paprika and chilli flakes, balance the unique taste of citrus peels, while more standard aromatics help bring the spice blend home.
1. Paprika
The smoky flavour of dried and powdered bell peppers is addictive, and there’s no substitution for the bright colour paprika adds to food.
2. Lemon Peel
This is a unique ingredient not found in any other curry recipe, and it’s clear proof of Persian influence in the recipe. Lemon peel is fragrant and perfumed, and it also adds a pleasant bitterness to the spice blend.
3. Galangal
Galangal is a lesser-known rhizome not dissimilar to ginger. It’s uniquely used in Thai and Indonesian cooking, and it is prized for its milder taste.
4. Chilli Flakes
Massaman curry is not a hot preparation, but it benefits from the subtle spiciness of chilli flakes, which also add colour and texture to the curry.
5. Cumin
Cumin seeds are native to the Iran-Turanian Region and are widely used in Persian cuisines. They found their way into massaman to infuse it with their slightly warm, sharp and bitter-sweet flavour.
6. Coriander
Southern Europe and Northern Africa use coriander seeds extensively. These also found their way into Thailand through the spice trade. Massaman has a noticeable and very appealing coriander taste.
7. Garlic Powder
Garlic is one of the most widely used aromatic bulbs in many cuisines, including Thai cooking, where curries and other stews gain warmth from the pungent ingredient.
8. Turmeric
The colourful rhizome gives colour to massaman curry and an attractive warmth hard to describe. This noble spice is thought to have medicinal properties as well.
9. Lime Leaf
Another signature ingredient in Persian cooking that makes massaman curry so different from other Thai curries. The bitter-sweet leaf adds extraordinary scents to the recipe.
10. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is warm and comforting, and it has a place in both sweet and savoury dishes. Although massaman curry is not all that cinnamony, the brown spice certainly adds its soothing personality to the spice blend.
11. Celery Salt
We use celery salt as a flavour enhancer to lift the flavours in the massaman curry and all the other spices in the blend.
12. Cracked Black Pepper
Pepper adds spicy richness, aromatics and flavour intensity to the curry without overpowering other spices.
13. Cardamom
Cardamom seeds have a sweet, herbal and earthy flavour that gives curry a distinctly Middle Eastern feel.
14. Clove
Aromatic cloves are incredibly fragrant, and their perfume is sweet and comforting. Clove is extraordinary for meat-based dishes.
Thai Massaman Curry; a Merger of Cultures
Thai Massaman is not your average curry; the distinct Middle Eastern ingredients in the spice blend give it a unique flavour. You’ll enjoy massaman curry even if you’re not all that into curry — it’s something else entirely, and it’s delicious!
Serve massaman curry with a side of white rice, its traditional partner. Rice will let you scoop up the last drop of spicy sauce from the plate. As for the protein, there are many ways of making massaman curry a whole meal. Chicken, pork or beef are popular alternatives, but vegetarian massaman curries are some of the most flavourful plant-based meals globally.
We hope you enjoy your Spice Master’s Massaman Curry Blend. Let this be the beginning of a wonderful journey across the lesser-known Thai food.
