Delicious Thai Food – Massaman Curry
Thai food has rapidly gained popularity among food enthusiasts around the world. The foundation of Thai food lies in the ethnic taste of Asian food. One of the things that set apart Thai food is the combination of spices and unique flavours used in it.
Thai food is highly regarded for its freshness. All ingredients that are combined to prepare a delicious Thai food recipe are supposed to be fresh; that is another quality that makes Thai food get recommended by foodies around the world.
A traditional Thai menu consists of both sweet and spicy dishes. However, Thai food is known for its spicy flavours. One of the prominent dishes that can be found in a Thai menu is curry. Thai food has different types of curries including yellow, red, green and Massaman curry. Curries are so common in Thai food because it is believed that they are compatible with a variety of meats and seafood.
Massaman Curry
Massaman curry is favoured by many Thai food lovers. It is not only a delicious dish but has some interesting background.
History of Massaman Curry
The word Massaman has an interesting history as to how it actually was derived. Massaman is often referred to as Matsaman as well. The word itself is not native to the Thai language. The word’s roots can be traced back to Muslim writers who used to call this specific dish as Mussulman curry. Mussulman is an archaic form of the word Muslim.
Meat Used in Massaman Curry
Since the dish is of Muslim origin, therefore, it is usually made following Muslim dietary laws. Massaman curry is mostly prepared using chicken, mutton or beef. In an uncommon preparation of the curry, pork is sometimes used. However, in Muslim countries, it is only prepared with halal meat. Therefore, Thai Muslims don’t prepare it using pork.
Flavours of Massaman Curry
The flavour of the Massaman curry is unique as it is created using a paste of spices that is not used for other regular Thai curries. Spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, nutmeg, mace and bay leaves are combined with dried chilli peppers, lemongrass, cilantro, white pepper, shallots and shrimp paste to prepare the paste for the Massaman curry.
Preparation
Once the paste has been created, it is fried with coconut cream. After this, meat, potatoes, onions, salt, sugar, peanuts and coconut milk are added to it. Massaman curry is usually eaten with rice. In more traditional versions of the dish, it is often prepared with oranges, orange juice, pineapple juice and other ingredients.
Massaman curry is a very popular Thai dish. In media coverage by CNNGo, it was ranked as the number one dish among 50 most delicious foods.
Massaman curry is a prominent item on a Thai menu and is often one of the most ordered dishes during a single day.
