credit: adapted from New York Times Cooking

This recipe has directions to create massaman curry paste from scratch, but you can likely easily find a can or jar of it at the grocery store if you would rather skip that step. Although tamarind concentrate is included in the recipe, lime juice is suggested as a readily-available alternative.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MASSAMAN CURRY PASTE

• 2 whole green cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon piece
• 4 whole cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 to 6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, to heat preference

FOR THE CURRY

• 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk (do not shake)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced in rounds
• 1 pound potatoes (about 2 potatoes), peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons granulated, light brown or palm sugar, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons Thai tamarind concentrate, or lime juice, plus more as needed
• Cilantro leaves, for serving

PREPARATION

Prepare the curry paste: Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Swirl the pan around, or toss the spices with a wooden spoon, and gently toast until fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer to a small bowl to cool, then place in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Grind to a fine powder, then return to the bowl. Stir in the ground nutmeg and red curry paste. Heat a large (about 5½-quart) Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Scoop 4 tablespoons of the thick cream off the top of a can of coconut milk and add it to the pot; it will sizzle as soon as it hits the hot surface. Stir for a few seconds, then add the curry paste and continuously stir until the mixture becomes a thick paste and the oil starts to separate, about 3 minutes. If it starts sticking, pour in a splash of coconut milk. Stir in the shallots, and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk from both cans and bring to a boil. Stir frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, maintaining a lively boil, until slightly reduced and a bit thickened, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are slightly softened at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, peanuts, fish sauce, sugar and tamarind. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through, the curry coats the back of a spoon, and all the flavors come to life, about 15 minutes. Taste and season to get the right balance of salt (fish sauce), sweet (sugar) and sour (tamarind). Remove from the heat and let stand for a couple minutes, until the bright orange oil rises to the top. Serve with cilantro and peanuts, alongside steamed jasmine rice.