Massaman is one of Thailand’s most famous dishes. In fact, if you’re visiting Thailand, this is something you must absolutely try. Don’t worry if you haven’t plotted a course to this country yet, luckily, Massaman Curry is served at Jasmine Thai Restaurant in Mandurah, and it’s featured as the dish of the month.
Here are a few questions we asked Tiffany, the owner of Jasmine Thai, to learn more about this popular Thai dish.
Question: What does Massaman remind you of in Thailand? Was there a certain time you would eat this dish?
Answer: The spices used, like cinnamon, remind me of Thailand. When cooking this dish and smelling the savory fragrance of the spices and ingredients, I can’t help but think of my home town in Thailand.
Massaman is a food that is suitable for dinner because it is cooked with meat, which makes you feel full and satiated.
Q: Is it suitable for any kind of weather, season, or situation? Lunch or dinner?
A: In Thailand, Massaman is eaten in any and every season, either lunch or dinner.
Q: Did you usually eat this with another dish or drink?
A: This is eaten together with steamed rice, and perfectly paired with red wine.
Q: What’s in the dish? Are there any options? e.g. lamb or beef
A: There’s curry, meat, oil, onions, and lots of other spices. Meat can vary according to preference – like chicken, lamb, or beef.
Q: How is it prepared and cooked?
A: Every Massaman must start with choosing good quality meat. Once the cooking begins, we start to fry the spices in a particular order, and then introduce the meat. We simmer the meat in the spices for 2-3 hours to allow the flavor to penetrate into the meat and then allow the curry to thicken.
Q: Do you weigh the quantity for each meal to keep things consistent?
A: Yes, we weigh every serve. Lamb = 235 grams, Beef = 250 grams
Q: Do you use any fresh local ingredients? What is good about the ingredients used?
A: We buy vegetables and meat from local suppliers, that way we always have fresh ingredients to use. We generally start the day by making a fresh dish every morning.
Q: How is your cooking style different to others? Why is your dish good?
A: The curry used is made from a wide variety of authentic Thai herbs, making it unique to the smells we are accustomed to in our hometown.
Q: Is this dish modified for Australian taste?
A: We do slightly modify the local ingredients which are selected and adapted to suit the preferences of Australian taste. In addition to this, lamb is an Australian favourite, being one of the most popular meats to have with Massaman.
Massaman Information
Massaman is a curry food obtained from France which is influenced by Malay food. Reputed to be the most delicious food in the world from the survey of the CNNGO website (https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html)
How-to
Curry paste with a mixture of dried chili, galangal, lemongrass, onion, garlic, chilli, coriander, fennel, flower, clove, and seasoning. This is a dish usually eaten with rice. It’s popular to use beef, but nowadays there is a selection of more diverse meats which are considered to match the preferences of Australians.