Massaman Thai Curry
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Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
Massaman Curry Paste
  • 3 Shallots, peeled (or a small red onion)
  • 4-6 Garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 Lemongrass, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 Thai Chilis (optional, leave out to make nightshade-free or if you are sensitive to spice)
  • 1 bunch of Cilantro, stems only (reserve the leaves for the curry)
  • 1 inch of fresh Ginger
  • 1 inch of fresh turmeric (1 tsp if using dried)
  • 2 Dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbsp Dulse
  • 3 Tbsp Tamari
  • 4 Tbsp melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • ½ tsp Peppercorns
  • ¼ tsp Cardamom Seeds (or 4-5 whole pods)
  • 3 Cloves
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground/grated
  • ¼ tsp Nutmeg, ground/grated
  • ½ tsp Cumin, ground (or 1 tsp whole)
  • ½ tsp Coriander, ground (or 2 tsp whole)
  • 1 Star Anise
  • Water as needed to make the blender work (you might not need it)
Massaman Curry
  • 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • ½ recipe of the above Massaman Curry Paste
  • 4 c Coconut Milk (about 2 cans)
  • 2-3 c Water
  • 2 whole Star Anise
  • 4-6 inch Cinnamon Stick, broken in half
  • 8-10 Shallots, peeled
  • 2-3 lbs Root Veggies (we used turnips and carrots, but anything would work) (beets would turn it pink though), cut into wedges/equal sized pieces
  • 1 small Savoy Cabbage (or any cabbage), cut into wedges (with the root holding it together).
  • 1 bunch Cilantro leaves (whose stems were used in the curry paste)
  • 4 sprigs of Thai Basil
  • 1-2 Fresh Limes
  • Sea(weed) Salt or Tamari, as needed for final seasoning
Instructions
For the Curry Paste:
  1. In a blender or food processor, blend ingredients until relatively smooth (you may have to pre-chop some of the ingredients depending on your appliance).
  2. Use right away, refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze until you're ready for it.
  3. For the Curry:
  4. In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil and add the curry paste.
  5. Sauté on low heat until it becomes very fragrant and starts to dry out a bit (it might start to stick, that's ok as long as it doesn't get too dark and start to burn) (if it starts to darken, move to the next step).
  6. Add 2 cups of water, the coconut milk and whole shallots and bring to a simmer.
  7. Add the root vegetables, put a lid on top and let simmer on low until they become tender (5-10 minutes or longer, depending on the size of the veg and the level of heat).
  8. Take the lid off and add the thai basil sprigs and place the cabbage wedges over the top, squishing part way into the curry, and replace the lid.
  9. Simmer for another 5-ish minutes, or until the cabbage turns bright green (check on it) (also, this is a fleeting moment, it will eventually turn less vibrantly green as it sits in the curry, which is totally ok)
  10. The extra cup of water is in case you simmered too much liquid away and the curry sauce has become too thick.
  11. Take the lid off and sprinkle the fresh cilantro leaves over the top and squeeze on some fresh lime juice (or save these steps to do on each individual plate).
  12. Serve over freshly steamed rice, buckwheat, quinoa, or just serve as it is.
Recipe by The Crushing Cancer Kitchen at https://thecrushingcancerkitchen.com/roots/massaman-thai-curry/