Quick & easy Massaman chicken curry (with sweet potato and peanuts!)

For a Thai street food experience, you don’t have to travel all the way to Thailand! This Massaman chicken curry with sweet potato and peanuts is not only rich and creamy, it’s also packed full of nutritious and satisfying vegetables. The best part? You need just 10 minutes hands-on time to make it!

Note: This post has been updated from its original version to include step-by-step cooking instructions, an FAQ, and similar recipes. I hope you like it!

Short on time this week? Just don’t know what to make for dinner…. but still hungry for something that’s super tasty and doesn’t involve calling for take-out?

Why this chicken massaman curry needs to be on your menu this week

• Thai Massaman curries aren’t traditionally quick and easy. But this shortcut version is. You only need 10 minutes to prep it, and just over half an hour for it to cook.
• It’s truly DELICIOUS. There’s a creamy richness and sweetness from the coconut milk, sweet potato and peanuts. But it’s also packed with comforting and satisfying spices, meat and hearty vegetables.
• In fact, there are SIX different types of vegetables in this curry. Make this in one pot, then pat yourself on the back for making such a tasty and nutritious home cooked meal!
• Want to feel like you’re sitting at a Thai street food stall? This recipe is inspired by a Thai Massaman chicken curry I once ate at a local Thai street food restaurant in Nottingham, England.

Ingredients in this chicken massaman curry recipe

Although an authentic Thai massaman curry might include a few more ingredients, I have kept mine really simple. You need just 7 main ingredients if you lump all the veggies together to be one ingredient (!) + garnishes and sides (and of course salt and pepper).

Here are the 7 ingredients I include (+ garnishes!):

• chicken thighs, chopped into small pieces
• coconut milk
• chicken stock
• Masssaman curry paste
• fish sauce
• corn flour (corn starch) mixed with a little water for thickening
• loads of vegetables (onion, garlic, sweet potato, white potato, peppers, baby corn)
• delicious garnishes and sides: peanuts, coriander, lime, rice, naan and/or pappadoms

How to make this massaman chicken curry in 5 simple steps

Your friends and family will think you’re an amazing cook when you serve this to them. They will never know the stove did most of the work! 😉

Step 1: Pan fry in this order: onions, chicken, garlic, two types of potato.

Step 2: Add curry paste and liquids.

Step 3: Stir in the more delicate vegetables (peppers and baby corn).

Step 4: Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Step 5: Scatter over garnishes and serve.

Sounds delicious. But is chicken Massaman curry spicy?

Massaman curry is very interesting! It’s a Thai curry, but the spices used in the curry paste make it seem more like an Indian curry (hello coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg…).

So I guess you could say a massaman curry tastes like a cross between a Thai curry and an Indian curry.

The Thai curries I’ve eaten have often been fairly spicy, but Massaman curry is a mild Thai curry, so you don’t need to worry about it blowing your head off!

I always use a premade Massaman curry paste to make things easy, but of course if you’re feeling brave (and you’ve got more time than I have!) then by all means make your own. Here’s a great recipe for a homemade Massaman curry paste.

And finally… is Massaman chicken curry healthy?

Yep. I would say this curry is. It’s packed full of nutritious vegetables and spices. Coconut milk, peanuts and potatoes are quite high in calories, but these foods are all good for you so I’m certainly not going to worry about it!

There are about 500 calories in each portion of this Massaman Thai curry (not counting sides such as rice). That’s considerably less than many takeaway curries which can contain over 1,000 calories. Watch your portion size (the key to moderation) and enjoy!

More easy Asian meals

• 15 minute Thai basil pork stir fry (delicious!)
• This 20-minute chicken and cashew nuts is another quick and easy Chinese takeout classic!
• Perfect Thai chicken and butternut squash curry (On the table in 40 minutes and makes a TON. We ALWAYS have some of this in our freezer!)
• Sticky and delicious 15 minute Shanghai chicken
• Perfect Mee Goreng (spicy Indonesian noodles)
• Or take a look at all my Asian recipes!

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Massaman chicken curry with sweet potato and peanuts

This is a simple Thai style chicken curry that will transport you straight to the streets of Thailand! It's a mild and yet creamy and satisfying curry that's packed full of nutritious vegetables. It takes just 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook, so it's just perfect for an easy weeknight meal!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Cuisine Thai

Servings (click to change) 4

Author Helen

Equipment (affiliate links)

• cast iron pan

Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)

cups/ounces – grams/ml

• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves crushed
• 7 ounces sweet potato I used 1 smallish, peeled and cubed (about 1cm)
• 9 ounces potato I used 2 smallish, peeled and cubed (about 1cm)
• 14 ounces coconut milk mixed with 3 tablespoons Massaman curry paste (1 can)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 peppers (Australia – capsicum) I used one green one red
• 3.5 ounces baby corn
• 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with a little water.
• salt and pepper to taste

To Serve

• one handful of peanuts per person
• a handful of fresh coriander
• lime wedges
• rice and / or naan bread we used flatbreads instead which are cheaper, or you can even make your own!

Instructions

 

• Pan fry the onion for a few minutes in a little vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan with a lid.
• Add the chicken and stir until starting to cook. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the sweet potato and potato cubes.
• Add the coconut milk and curry paste, stock and fish sauce.
• Stir in the bell peppers and baby corn and push everything down so that it’s covered by the liquid.
• Bring to the boil with the lid on, then reduce to a medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the corn starch mixture and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer with the lid off until the curry sauce has thickened a little and the vegetables are cooked through.
• Grind in salt and pepper to taste, then serve garnished with coriander and peanuts over rice (and with naan or flatbread if you like).

Notes

Cooking time

The 30 minutes cooking time is approximate. I find it’s done when the sweet potato is soft enough. Just keep checking!

Vegetables 

By all means use different vegetables if you like. I think carrots, squash and frozen peas would work particularly well.

Can you freeze a massaman chicken curry?

Yes, of course! Simply let cool, then freeze in glass containers for up to 3 months. Let defrost, then reheat either in a saucepan or in the microwave for a few minutes (I like to reheat at 50% heat to stop the chicken going tough).

Nutrition

Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 30gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 944mgPotassium: 1235mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 8995IUVitamin C: 89.3mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 7.2mg

Tried this recipe?Let me know if you liked it!