Confident Kitchen

Mussaman Curry is thought to come from the interaction of Indian traders in Thailand.  Mussaman may come from “Muslim Man”.  This curry takes some time, but makes enough to last for multiple dinners.  Raw, this curry can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, or 2-3 months in the freezer.  Cooked, it can be stored for 2 months in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer.

Skill:  Medium
Prep:  20 minutes
Total:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 dried long red chilies (or 12 small Thai red chili peppers)
• 1/4 cup coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 4 star anise pods, crushed
• 12 cinnamon quills, broken
• 10 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 6 thin slices galangal, chopped (can substitute conventional ginger)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped kaffir lime zest (can substitute conventional lime zest)

Soak dried chilies in warm water for 10 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.  In a small frying pan over medium heat, separately toast each spice, stirring constantly, until fragrant.  Immediately remove from heat and pour spices into a large mortar or spice grinder (I use an old coffee grinder).  Add salt and grind to a fine powder.  Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat oil in a wok or heavy frying pan (cast iron works best) over high heat.  Add garlic, shallots, and drained chilies.  Fry until slightly golden, 1-2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon, reserve solids and discard oil.  Add galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime zest to a large mortar and pound to a paste, 10-20 minutes.  **NOTE**  You can use your food processor for this step.  Turn the food processor on, then add galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime zest.  Add fried garlic, shallots, and chilies.  Add ground spices.  You can add 2-3 tablespoons of water during this process if dry.