Kaeng Masaman

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Kaeng Masaman ( Thai : แกง มัสมั่น ; pronunciation: [ kæŋ mát-sà-màn ] pronunciation ? / I , literally: Muslim soup , also "Gaeng Matsaman" or "Massaman curry") is a dish of southern Thai cuisine . Kaeng Masaman was claimed by the Thais in central Thailand as one of the dishes created there, but it is far more common in southern Thailand . Audio file / audio sample

King Phra Phutthaloetla ( Rama II ) was so impressed by this dish that he wrote a poem about it, more precisely about a cook. The poem is known to every Thai student, as it is already memorized in elementary school. It shows that Indian-influenced dishes had already taken a firm place in Thai cuisine at the beginning of the 19th century. The fact that a king used it as inspiration for a poem also proves that the recipe for a “Muslim curry” had long been accepted in Thai food culture.

The first lines of the poem read:

มัสมั่น แกง แก้วตา หอม ยี่หร่า รส แรง ร้อน - Masaman, jewel in my eyes, fragrant cumin, pungent taste.
ชาย ใด ได้ กลืน แกง แรง อยาก ให้ ใฝ่ฝัน หา - Every man who tastes her curry cannot help but dream about her.
...

General

The fundamental difference to an Indian curry is that the group of Thai “kaeng dishes” are not made from ground spices, but from a “curry” paste. Furthermore, the spices are not fried in fat, as in India, but the paste is cooked - often in coconut milk .

The paste

The art of preparing a real kaeng is first of all to make the khrueang kaeng (Thai: เครื่องแกง ), the paste. Every Thai household has a mortar (Thai: ครก ), which is best made of solid stone. Here, the ingredients are mashed, crushed and grated with the pestle (Thai: สาก ) until they Khao Kan (Thai: เข้า กัน - literally: come together), until an aromatic, homogeneous, thick mass is created is. The seeds should be roasted briefly in a dry pan before they are ground and mixed with the paste.

ingredients

  • Ingredients for Khrueang Kaeng Masaman ("curry" paste):
    • Shallots (Thai: หัว หอม - Hua-Hom),
    • Garlic (Thai: กระเทียม - Kratiam),
    • Galanga root ( ข่า - Kha),
    • Coriander seeds (Thai: เท็ ด ผักชี - Met Phak Chi),
    • Cumin seeds (Thai: ยี่หร่า - Yi-Ra),
    • Shrimp paste (Thai: กะปิ - Kapi)
    • Lemongrass (Thai: ตะ ใค ร้ - Ta-Khrai)
    • dried Thai chilli (so-called "heavenly chilli", Thai: พริก ชี ฟ้า - Phrik Chi Fa)
    • Cloves (Thai: กานพลู - Kan-Phlu)
    • green peppercorns
    • salt
  • Ingredients for the stew:
    • Khrueang Kaeng Masaman (Masaman paste)
    • Coconut milk (Thai: กะทิ - Kathi)
    • small white onions (Thai: หัว หอม - Hua-Hom)
    • roasted peanuts (Thai: ถั่ว ลิสง - Thua Lisong)
    • Cardamom capsules (Thai: ลูก กระวาน - Luk Kra-Wan)
    • Cinnamon (Thai: อบเชย - Ob-Choei)
    • Palm sugar (Thai: น้ำตาล ปึก - Nam Than Puek)
    • Tamarind paste dissolved in hot water (Thai: มะขาม - Ma-Kham)
    • Lime juice (Thai: น้ำ มะนาว - Nam Manao)
    • Fish sauce (Thai: น้ำปลา - Nam Pla)
    • any type of meat, preferably beef or chicken
    • Potatoes (Thai: มันฝรั่ง - Man Farang)

preparation

The coconut milk is heated in a wok until just before the boiling point. Then the Khrueang Kaeng , i.e. the paste, is stirred in and cooked until it has mixed well with the coconut milk. Add the meat, potatoes, onions and roasted peanuts. In the meantime, briefly toast the cardamom and cinnamon stick in a dry pan, then add to the soup. Let the whole simmer for about 20-30 minutes and only finally stir in the palm sugar, tamarind juice and fish sauce.

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