Massaman Curry with Chicken Drumsticks

Recently, we had Thai Massaman curry again, this time with chicken thighs. However, I was too lazy to make the paste myself, so I used a ready-made one. To make this southern Thai curry even more interesting, I added some fresh spices while cooking. Here’s my recipe for “Gaeng Massaman Gai” ( แกงมัสมั่นไก่ ).

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Preparation

First, we should prepare some of the ingredients, then cooking will be easier later. First, wash the chicken thighs and then gently pat them dry. Then peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Finally, peel the onions and cut them into quarters or eighths depending on their size.

Now heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a high-sided pan and brown the chicken thighs on all sides. When the thighs are completely browned, take them out of the wok and add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and cardamom pods instead.

We fry these spices until they are fragrant, then add the curry paste and half of the peanuts. We also fry the paste with the peanuts until it releases its aroma. Then we deglaze everything with the solid part of the coconut milk and let it boil briefly together.

Then add the potatoes and onions and pour the remaining coconut milk over them until everything is covered. Then add the palm sugar and fish sauce and let everything simmer together at medium heat for about twenty minutes.

After the time has elapsed, add the chicken thighs back to the curry and let them simmer for about five minutes until they are cooked. In the meantime, roast the remaining peanuts in a small pan without oil.

Once the chicken thighs are cooked and the potatoes have the desired consistency, serve the Massaman curry in bowls, garnish it with roasted peanuts and serve it with jasmine rice.