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Massaman Curry, a mild and flavorful Thai curry with a perfect blend of sweet, spicy and creamy. A light squeeze of lime ties all the flavors together in this simple yet elegant dish. Here's a 30-minute pressure cooker and stove-top recipe for this delicious curry.

Thai food is always on the repeat menu in my home, especially on weeknights. Thai Massaman curry is quick and super easy to make.

I love the flavor combination in this curry. It is very easy to customize it and make it with Shrimp or Tofu too.

Quick, Easy and Tasty Thai Curry Perfect for Weeknights

In this recipe, I combine store-bought Thai Masaman curry paste with coconut milk, add chicken and a ton of veggies, cook it on the stove-top for 10-12 minutes, or a quick 5 minutes in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, and it's done!

I like using Maesri brand for curry pastes. I find the taste of this brand to be the most authentic. My local favorite Thai restaurant also uses Maesri pre-made Thai curry pastes to make their curries:-)



I buy the curry paste from Amazon, or my local asian supermarket. My pantry is always stocked with one of these curry pastes, coconut milk and a can of baby corn.

It makes life much easier for times when you don't feel like doing take-out, but still want to eat something delicious.

I combine the curry paste with coconut milk, add the baby corn, plus about a cup of any frozen veggies I have on hand, and dinner comes together with minimum effort!

Vegetarian Massaman Curry Recipe

You can make this Thai Massaman Curry recipe vegetarian by substituting chicken with extra-firm tofu. Since tofu is already cooked, add it after cooking the curry, along with beans and broccoli. That will give it enough time to absorb the flavors of the curry.

You can also make this Thai curry with Paneer, Indian cottage cheese. If using Paneer, follow the same instructions as Tofu.

Customize your Thai Massaman Curry

It is extremely easy to customize this coconut curry to your liking. You can make it with shrimp or beef instead.

Shrimp: Since shrimp cooks pretty quickly, cook the curry first, open the lid and then add the shrimp, along with the beans. Simmer on saute mode for 3-4 mins, or until the shrimp cooks through.

Beef: If using beef, increase the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. Skip the baby corn and add it towards the end along with green beans. Follow the remaining instructions.

Vegetables: You can add the veggies of your choice. Traditionally, this curry is made with potatoes and onions, so feel free to add those. If adding potatoes, add them with the chicken.

Other veggies that go well in Massaman Curry are squash chunks, zucchini and snow peas. You can even add a cup or so of any frozen veggie medley you have on hand.

Stovetop Recipe for Thai Massaman Curry

Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, curry paste, chicken and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add carrots, onions and drained baby corn. Shake the coconut can and add that to the pan. Stir well.

Wait till the curry starts bubbling. This prevents the coconut milk from curdling under high heat. Cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. At this stage, the beans retain their crunch, but you can cook them till your preferred doneness. Turn off the heat.

Add the broccoli florets and let them hang out in the curry for 2-3 minutes (or longer). This will give them enough time to steam and absorb the curry and still retain their crunch. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish.

Make a Meal: What to Serve with Thai Massaman Curry

Thai Massaman Curry is traditionally served with steamed JASMINE RICE, which is a fragrant long grain rice variety from Thailand. You can serve it with White or Brown Jasmine rice. Here are the recipes:

My husband and I like to eat low-carb, so we eat it with cauli-rice (cooked shredded cauliflower).

My kids enjoys it with Brown Jasmine rice. Brown Jasmine is a healthier version of white Jasmine rice. It has the same nutty flavor and fragrance of a traditional Jasmine rice, but has almost 4 times the fiber than white rice.

Making Pot-in-Pot Rice with Massaman Curry

If you like to make White Jasmine Rice, you can cook the rice in the same pot as the curry, using the Pot-in-Pot technique. Here is how you make it:

Assemble the curry in the pot. Place a trivet. Assemble the rice in an oven safe bowl that fits well in the cooking pot. Close the lid and pressure cook on Manual or Pressure Cook mode for 5 mins. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release manually by moving the vent from sealing to venting position in DUO, or pushing down the pressure valve in ULTRA. Open lid after the pin drops.

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Massaman Curry Recipe- Instant Pot or Stovetop Massaman Curry, a mild and flavorful Thai curry with a perfect blend of sweet, spicy and creamy. A light squeeze of lime ties all the flavors together in this simple yet elegant dish. Here's a 30-minute pressure cooker and stove-top recipe for this delicious curry. 4.25 from 33 votes Print Pin Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes NPR: 5 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 5 people Calories: 477 kcal Author: Aneesha Gupta Ingredients 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size

1 tbsp light olive oil 1 tbsp light olive oil

½ inch ginger grated or pureed ½ inch ginger grated or pureed

2 cloves garlic grated or pureed 2 cloves garlic grated or pureed

4 oz Maesri Thai Masaman Curry (1 can) 4 oz Maesri Thai Masaman Curry (1 can)

1 cup carrot chunks (1 large or 2 small carrots) 1 cup carrot chunks (1 large or 2 small carrots)

1 cup onion 1 medium onion cut in cubes or sliced 1 cup onion 1 medium onion cut in cubes or sliced

14 oz. cut baby corn (1 can or less, based on your taste) 14 oz. cut baby corn (1 can or less, based on your taste)

14 oz. coconut milk (1 can) 14 oz. coconut milk (1 can) Add after cooking the curry 1 cup french beans cut in bite size pieces 1 cup french beans cut in bite size pieces

1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup broccoli florets

A light squeeze of lime before serving A light squeeze of lime before serving Equipment Instant Pot

Heavy Bottom Pot or Dutch Oven Instructions Heat oil on SAUTE mode in Instant Pot for 30 seconds. Add ginger, garlic, curry paste, chicken and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add carrots, onions and drained baby corn. Shake the coconut can and add that to the pan. Stir well.

Wait till the curry starts bubbling. This prevents the coconut milk from curdling under pressure. Turn off Saute. Close the lid. Set the vent to sealing position if using DUO. Pressure cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 5 minutes.

Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 mins, then release manually by moving the vent to venting position in Duo, or pushing down the pressure vent in Ultra. Open the lid after the pin drops.

Turn on SAUTE. Add green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. At this stage, the beans retain their crunch, but you can cook them till your preferred doneness. Turn off SAUTE.

Add broccoli florets and let them hang out in the curry for 2-3 minutes (or longer). This will give them enough time to steam and absorb the curry and still retain their crunch. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish. Stovetop Recipe Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, curry paste, chicken and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add carrots, onions and drained baby corn. Shake the coconut can and add that to the pan. Stir well.

Wait till the curry starts bubbling. This prevents the coconut milk from curdling under high heat. Cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. At this stage, the beans retain their crunch, but you can cook them till your preferred doneness. Turn off the heat.

Add the broccoli florets and let them hang out in the curry for 2-3 minutes (or longer). This will give them enough time to steam and absorb the curry and still retain their crunch. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to finish this dish.

Video Notes & Recipe Tips Curry Paste: I prefer Maesri brand curry paste since it is vegetarian (no shrimp paste) and tastes authentic. It is available in most asian grocery stores and on amazon. Coconut Milk: Any good thick full-fat coconut milk will work in this curry. You can use light coconut milk as well, but your curry will not be as thick. I prefer Chaokoh brand coconut milk. Make it Vegetarian: You can make this curry 100% vegetarian by swapping the chicken with extra-firm tofu chunks or paneer cubes. Customize your protein: make it with shrimp or beef instead. Here's how: Shrimp: Since shrimp cooks pretty quickly, cook the curry first, open the lid and then add the shrimp, along with the beans. Simmer on saute mode for 3-4 mins, or until the shrimp cooks through. Beef: If using beef, increase the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. Skip the baby corn and add it towards the end along with green beans. Follow the remaining instructions. Choose your Vegetables: You can add the veggies of your choice. Other veggies that go well are squash chunks, zucchini and snow peas. You can even add a cup or so of any frozen veggie medley you have on hand. If adding potatoes, add them with the chicken. One-Pot Meal: To make a one-pot meal, cook the rice using pot-in-pot method along with the curry. Checkout the detailed instructions above. If you are new to the Instant Pot , please read my FAQ on Instant Pot Terminology and Accessories to learn more. Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator. Nutrition Calories: 477 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 35 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Sodium: 196 mg | Potassium: 1084 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 9 g | Vitamin A: 8364 IU | Vitamin C: 32 mg | Calcium: 90 mg | Iron: 5 mg Did you try this recipe? Mention @SpiceCravings or tag #spicecravings