Thai Mussaman Beef Curry
Thai Mussaman Beef Curry
I love my curries and that goes without saying. But if there was one particular food that really does it for me apart from Indian it would have to be Thai.
I got gifted Thai Food by David Thompson for Christmas, which actually made me fall in love all over again with the food from the region. Apart from the book truly being a collector’s item, it makes you want to cook all the delicious dishes. It gives an insight into flavours, techniques and dishes which I haven’t tried before. Its also covers Thai culture, society and regional cuisine as it has come to evolve today within the country.
When put together typical Thai flavours like lemongrass, palm sugar and the fiery chillies is a combination that is bursting with excitement. The result is delectable dishes that we yearn for- a spiced red curry, green papaya salad, the jungle curry or the moreish pad thai noodles. Thai cuisine gets it perfect with their balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy in each dish.
Mussaman Beef Curry is the Thai version of the Muslim curries from northern India. What make this curry more unique are their use of fish sauce, lemon grass and palm sugar. Using black cardamom really imparted that intense smoky flavour which came through in the curry. The most common versions of this dish use chicken or beef with potatoes and whole shallots.
My choice of Thai curry in this post is actually is a personal favourite. Sometimes we all crave that richness and depth in a curry. It’s the kind I relish during my trips to India from authentic Mughlai street food places like a local greasy spoon. I remember going out with friends for dinner and ordering massive amounts of dishes, not just because it was a cheap eat but more so because we were genuinely hunger and the food was always enjoyable and tasted exactly same every time we visited. Scoffing through all the kebabs, curries and rotis feeling satisfied at the end of it all washed down with something ice cold to drink. Heaven! Chilled Thumbs up usually did it for me!
Note: I know it seems like a longer winded process but I assure it’s a complete labour of love. The end result is lip smacking! Tastes even better if you have any leftover curry the following day to eat with some steamed rice.