This one-pot vegan Thai massaman curry has a flavorful peanut and coconut sauce, with jackfruit chunks adding delicious texture.
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What is massaman curry?
Massaman curry is one of Thailand's best known--and best loved--dishes. It has a pretty peanut-butter-colored sauce with chili-stained flecks of coconut fat, cinnamon and star anise, and a meat like beef or chicken.
Today, I'm sharing with you my vegan massaman curry. It has all the deliciousness of the original but I substitute the meat with chewy jackfruit, which adds wonderful texture. Jackfruit also makes an apt substitute in a Thai curry because it grows abundantly around Thailand and is frequently used in curries there.
Most Thai curries start out with spice pastes and for a massaman curry this would be massaman paste. Massaman paste is similar to Thai red curry paste but it has a few additional spices, like nutmeg and cloves. I use red curry paste, because it is close enough to massaman paste, and add the missing ingredients, like cloves and nutmeg, directly to the curry.
There are many stories about how massaman curry originated, but the most common one, and the most plausible, is that it was created by Muslim traders from the Middle East and India who traveled to Thailand. They married spices from their native cuisines with local ingredients to create this exquisite dish.
Recipe card
Vegan Massaman Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¼ cup Thai red curry paste
- 2-inch stick cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 6 green cardamom pods (crushed)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 20 oz jackfruit (from a can. Drained and rinsed. Cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 medium potatoes (cut in a chunky dice)
- 14 oz coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or better still, blitz 1 tablespoon peanuts with ¼ cup water)
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- 2 shallots (sliced thinly. Alternatively use a small red onion)
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar or coconut sugar or coconut syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or use cayenne)
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce. Skip if soy-free)
- 2 tbsp (level) tamarind paste (add 1 tablespoon and then add more if you want the curry tangier)
- Salt to taste
For serving and garnish
- Cilantro or basil, chopped
- White rice or brown rice, cooked
- Roasted, chopped peanuts
Instructions
- In a pot, heat the coconut oil with the red curry paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the paste darkens and oozes the fat from the coconut milk.
- Add the spices--cinnamon, star anise, green cardamom pods, cloves, nutmeg and turmeric--to the pot and mix them in. Saute them with the curry paste for a couple of minutes.
- Add the jackfruit and potatoes to the pot with the peanut butter or peanut paste, half the coconut milk , roasted peanuts, shallots, sugar, sriracha, tamarind paste and 1 cup water. Mix well, cover, and cook until the potatoes and jackfruit are tender, around 20 minutes. The jackfruit will still have a slghtly chewy texture, which you want.
- Add the remaining coconut milk and thin out with more water, if you want. Mix well and let the curry cook another five to 10 minutes. You should see flecks of red oil dotting the curry, which indicates all the ingredients are cooked exactly. Check salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with basil or cilantro.
- Serve hot with rice. Sprinkle on some roasted peanuts, if you wish.
Nutrition Information
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. That's what I use because I can't find raw jackfruit here except in cans. If you would like to use fresh jackfruit you certainly can, but you might need to precook it by boiling in water for a few minutes to get the right texture.
There already are potatoes in this dish. You can sub the jackfruit with other veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes, but don't use a veggie that's too watery and will go very soft, like zucchini or any squash--you want some heft and texture in the curry.
Chewy tofu would be great in this dish. You can bake tofu before adding to this recipe, or try this air-fryer tofu. Tempeh is a nice option too.
Definitely. Skip the nutmeg and cloves, in that case, as the massaman paste likely already has them added in it.
Serve the curry with plain steamed basmati rice. Serve with a vegetable stir-fry on the side. My favorites are this broccoli stir-fry and this shredded Brussels sprouts stir-fry.
You can keep the curry in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and it will taste great. Warm before using.
To freeze, pour into an airtight, freezer-safe container and store for up to three months. Thaw completely and reheat before serving.
Kevin says
Made this a couple nights ago because my spouse kept ordering it at the restaurant. Had most of the ingredients, so thought I'd try to find a recipe online, and since we are vegan, this one appealed to me. I also appreciate the explanations about why choosing vegan is more than just not eating meat—it means not supporting factory farms and cruelty. Anyhow, for the recipe, I cut back on the sugar because my spouse is also sensitive to this, but we prefer less sweetness anyway. I subbed tofu for jackfruit because that was all I had and added carrots and baby corn. I wish I'd made a bigger batch because even my mother had a bowl. Everyone loved it!
June says
Want to try this but need a substitute for jackfruit.
Vaishali says
Mushrooms or eggplant would be great!
Molly says
This was delicious but do you have ideas to make it a less spicy?
Vaishali says
So happy you liked it. You can skip the sriracha and make sure the red curry paste you use is not too spicy.
Carol Bradstreet says
I have some Massaman curry paste in my cupboard that I would like to use up. How would I adjust the other spices in the recipe so that it isn't overwhelming?
Vaishali says
I'd just leave out all the other spices, including the red curry paste, and use the massaman paste instead.
Georgie says
Do you think I could do this in a slow cooker and if so, how long roughly would you cook it for? ◡̈
Raga says
My most favorite massaman curry. The flavors are unbeatable. We make this at least every couple of weeks and can't get enough!
Vaishali says
So great to hear!
Hina says
This recipe was amazing, I also used your red curry paste recipe. The flavors came together well. My 95 year old grandma asked for 2nds and 3rds and took the leftovers home with her.
Vaishali says
Aw, so amazing to hear Hina!