Massaman Curry

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 500 ml coconut milk
• 4 potatoes, floury
• 2 onions
• 2 spring onions
• 2 carrots
• 100 g peanuts, roasted
• 100 g cashew nuts, roasted
• 3 tbsp Massaman curry paste (buy or make your own)
• 3 tbsp sesame oil, peanut oil or coconut oil
• 1 piece(s) ginger, thumb-thick
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 2 star anise
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• some stalks of coriander, for decoration (optional)
• Salt
• 200 g jasmine rice
• 150 g water
• 150 g coconut milk
• some salt
• 4 small shallots
• 3 large chili peppers, dried, red
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece(s) of galangal, approx. 2 cm
• 2 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

With her homemade curry paste, Julia Komp conjures up a great taste experience

Curry preparation: Wash the meat, pat dry, and cut into 1.5 cm cubes. Peel the ginger and garlic and finely dice or grate them. Heat oil in a wok or pan and sear the salted meat vigorously, then set aside. Lightly roast the ginger and garlic in the remaining fat. Then add the curry paste and all the spices (except the cinnamon). Now add the roughly diced onions and the peeled, quartered potatoes. Deglaze with coconut milk. Bring everything to a boil over medium heat until an oily layer forms on the surface and the mixture begins to smell. Tear the kaffir lime leaves slightly at the stem to release twice the aroma. Slice the carrots diagonally and add them. Add the cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Return the meat and toasted nuts to the pan and heat briefly. Shortly before serving, chop the spring onions into large pieces and fold them in; they should remain green and crisp. Season to taste and serve with fresh coriander and rice. Preparation of jasmine rice: First, wash the rice. To do this, place it in a pot, add water, and gently massage the rice with your hands. Then pour the contents of the pot into a sieve and repeat the process until the water remains almost clear. Return the rice from the sieve to the pot, add water, and coconut milk. The rice is now covered with about 1 cm of the water-coconut milk mixture. Season well with salt. Reduce the heat to low, place the pot on the stove, and wait until the water boils. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until small “holes” form on the surface of the rice. Never stir the rice during this phase! Turn off the heat and let the rice continue to swell in the covered pot for 15 to 20 minutes. Tow likes, put the rice in a cup or serving ring, press it down a little and arrange it attractively on the plate in a “parcel”. Preparation of Massaman curry paste: To make Massaman curry paste you best need a stone mortar. Using the pestle and mortar, pound, and grind the ingredients until you have an aromatic and homogenous mass. Don’t despair, it really does take a while but it’s worth it. By the way, the paste can be frozen. First, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a wok without oil. When the spices start to smell, they are ready. Set aside and let cool. Deseed the chilies and toast them in the wok without oil until they are nicely browned. Finely dice the shallots and garlic. Peel the galangal and also cut it into small cubes. Cut the lemongrass into thin rings. Roast the shallots, garlic, galangal, and lemongrass rings in a wok without oil, then let cool. Grind the coriander seeds, cumin, and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Then add the chilies and salt. Pound and grind until a homogeneous mixture forms. Now add the shrimp paste and the mixture of garlic, shallots, lemongrass, and galangal. Grind the mixture into a thick, smooth paste.