Recipe for vegetarian Massaman curry - Gaeng Massaman Man Thet
This Massaman curry with sweet potatoes, also known as "Gaeng Massaman Man Thet" (แกงมัสมั่นมันเทศ), is a wonderful alternative to classic Massaman curry with meat. The sweet potatoes bring a natural sweetness and harmonize perfectly with aromatic spices such as cinnamon and star anise.
If you replace the fish sauce with an alternative such as "No Fish" on an algae base, this dish becomes a completely vegetarian Massaman curry. By the way, we completely omit sugar from this recipe, as the sweet potatoes already bring enough sweetness.
Ingredients for 3–4 servings of vegetarian Massaman curry
Preparing this curry is easy and straightforward even for beginners in Thai cuisine.
Simply follow my cooking instructions.
| Sweet potatoes | 3 large (approx. 700 g) |
| Shallots | 5 pieces |
| Massaman Curry Paste | 1 tbsp |
| Coconut milk | 400 ml |
| Soy sauce | 2 tbsp |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 piece |
| Star anise | 2 pieces |
| Peanuts | 1 handful |
| Vegetable oil | 2 tbsp |
Preparation
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel the shallots and cut them into quarters.
- Heat some oil in a large pan or wok and fry the Massaman curry paste in it until fragrant.
- Add the sweet potatoes, mix them with the paste, and continue to fry together.
- Before the paste burns, deglaze with the coconut milk and let it come to a quick boil.
- Reduce the heat slightly, add the soy sauce, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary.
- Add the quartered shallots and peanuts and simmer for another 5 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft but not mushy.
- Serve the finished Gaeng Massaman Man Thet immediately hot as part of a Thai menu or as a standalone main course with jasmine rice.
