Massaman curry

Massaman curry(Thai:แกงมัสมั่น,RTGS:kaeng matsaman,pronounced[kɛ̄ːŋmát.sā.màn]) is a rich, flavourful, and mildly spicyThai curry.It is afusion dish, combining ingredients from three sources:Persia, theIndian Subcontinent, and theMalay Archipelago(e.g.,cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,star anise,cumin,bay leaves,nutmeg, andmace) with ingredients more commonly used in nativeThai cuisine(e.g.,chili peppers,coriander,lemongrass,galangal,white pepper,shrimp paste,shallots, andgarlic) to make massamancurry paste. The substance of the dish is usually based on chicken, potatoes, onions, and peanuts. The richness comes from thecoconut milkand cream used as a base, as for many Thai curries.
In 2011,CNNGoranked massaman curry as the number one most delicious food in an article titled "World's 50 most delicious foods".However, by a readers’ survey, it ranked number ten.It remained at number one in the official, updated 2018 version.
Due to itsMuslimroots and thereforeIslamic dietary laws, this curry is most commonly made withchicken, but there are also variations on this dish usingduck,beef,venison,mutton,goat, or rarely,pork.As pork isharam(forbidden) in Islam, this last variant is not eaten by observantThai Muslims. Vegetarians and vegans have created their own versions of this dish, such as usingtofuand substituting any shrimp paste or fish sauce used.
The Muslim roots of the dish are evident in many of the flavors of the massamancurry paste(nam phrik kaeng matsaman) that come from spices not frequently used in other Thai curries.Cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,star anise,cumin,bay leaves,nutmegandmacewould, in the 17th century, have been brought to Thailand from theMalay ArchipelagoandSouth Asiaby foreigners, a trade originally dominated by Muslim traders from theMiddle East,Indian subcontinent, and from the archipelago itself, but increasingly undertaken by thePortuguese, theDutch, and theFrench East India Company.
These foreign spices and flavors are then combined with local produce and flavors commonly used in native Thai cuisine such as driedchili peppers,corianderseeds,lemongrass,galangal,white pepper,shrimp paste,shallots, andgarlicto make themassamancurry paste.
The curry paste is firstfriedwithcoconut cream, and only then are meat, potatoes, onions,fish sauceor salt,tamarindpaste, sugar,coconut milkandpeanutsadded.Massamanis usually eaten with rice together in a meal with other dishes. There are also traditional versions usingoranges,orange juice, orpineapple juiceas additional ingredients.
The namemassamanis a corruption of the termmosalman(Persian:مسلمان),an archaic word derived fromPersian, meaning "Muslim"and the namemassamandid not exist in Persian orIndian languages.Hence, many earlier writers from the mid-19th century called the dish "Mussulman curry".
According to Thai journalist and scholarSanti Sawetwimon, as well asThai foodexpertsDavid ThompsonandHanuman Asplerthe dish originated in 17th centurycentral Thailandat the cosmopolitancourt of Ayutthaya,through thePersianmerchantSheik Ahmad Qomi, from whom the noble ThaiBunnag familydescends.Most theories contend thatmassamanis asouthern Thaidish influenced byMalayandIndian cuisine.
The curry is extolled in the poemKap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wanfrom the end of the 18th century, attributed to Prince Itsarasunthon of Siam (now Thailand), the laterKing Rama II(1767-1824). It is dedicated to a lady who is thought to be Princess Bunrot, the later QueenSri Suriyendra, wife of King Rama II. The secondstanzaof the poem reads:
The first-ever recorded recipe for massaman curry byLady Plean Phatsakorawongin 1889: "Chicken Massaman curry withbitter orangejuice", withMassamanspelledMatsaman(หมัดสมั่น).By 2002, it was being included in Australian recipe books as "Musaman beef curry"