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Are there any massaman curry paste substitutes? Yes, some of the best alternatives to massaman curry paste are Thai red curry paste, korma, panang curry paste, Thai yellow curry paste, and laksa.
Undoubtedly, you can easily find the ingredients for preparing popular curry pastes like the red, yellow, and green curry pastes, but you may not find massaman curry paste ingredients in your local market.
Hence, you can decide to substitute the paste in the recipe for your next meal.
The truth is this, most items and ingredients included in a recipe have a substitute. However, the substitute may not offer exactly the same flavor or taste as the actually recommended ingredient.
Below are other curry pastes and ingredients you can use in place of massaman curry paste.
What is Massaman Curry Paste?
The massaman curry paste is a special type of Thai curry with a unique taste. It is not entirely different from other Thai curries, except for its unique taste.
You’d find many recipes for preparing Massaman curry paste; also, you can buy already-made ones from grocery stores.
Read Also: Yellow Curry Vs Red Curry
What Is Massaman Curry Paste Made Of?
Massaman curry paste is made with different spices, such as garlic, lemongrass, red chilis, blue ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, shallots, nutmeg, coriander, cloves, and cumin.
You can now add kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk to create the sauce, and top off with peanuts and potatoes.
Massaman Curry Paste Substitutes
There are almost hundreds of curries, endemic to different regions. While Thai curries are the most popular, there are Indian curries and Malaysian curries.
Hereunder are curry pastes to use as a substitute for massaman curry paste in any recipe.
1. Thai Red Curry Paste
Thai red curry is the commonest type of curry – known by everyone. It is a tasty delicacy made with several varieties of chilies, which also contributes to the red color.
You can replace massaman curry paste with this curry; they have a lot in common.
As with every other curry paste out there, you can buy Thai red curry paste from stores or prepare it yourself.
In its most basic form, Thai red curry is a dish made from blending hot chilies, lemongrass, garlic, white onion, and sea salt. At most, you’d spend 15 minutes preparing this curry paste.
2. Panang Curry Paste
The Panang curry paste so much looks like the infamous red curry paste. Both appear reddish preparation, but Panang is less hot than red curries. In fact, some people refer to Panang curry as a type of red curry.
Back to our main topic, yes, you can use Panang curry to replace massaman in your recipe.
Panang curry paste recipes vary from brand to brand; however, the base ingredients include dried chili peppers, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and coriander.
3. Korma
Korma is an Indian dish that is as spicy as massaman curry paste. It is an ideal dish to use as a substitute for massaman.
This dish typically contains meat and vegetables braised with cream or yogurt. It is equally a type of curry.
Quite a lot of spices are added to this dish to make it thick and appealing, with a good aroma. Korma is a popular Indian cuisine; regardless, you could still get it from stores.
Well, Korma may not be ideal for most people, but it’s surely a good replacement for massaman.
4. Laksa
Laksa dish is mostly associated with Malaysian and Singapore cuisines. It is a spicy noodle dish that can come in as a substitute for massaman due to its sweet taste.
There are a few variations of this dish, with each having a slightly different taste.
The base ingredients for making this dish include Laksa noodles, rice vermicelli, coconut milk, and curry soup base.
If you’re living outside the Southern Asia region, you may find it difficult to get the full ingredients for making this dish.
5. Thai Yellow Curry
Yeah, most popular Thai curry pastes are a perfect substitute for massaman. The Thai yellow curry paste is a spicy dish made from blending lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, and other aromatic ingredients.
Its yellowish appearance is caused by turmeric.
Asides from serving as a massaman curry paste substitute, yellow curry is a tasty dish on its own. Well, it is not as hot/spicy as Thai red curry. You’d definitely find this curry paste in various top-class eateries.
6. Vindaloo
Vindaloo (also called vindalho) is popular with Indian cuisine, although the origin of this dish can be traced down to a Portuguese dish “carne de vinha d’alhos.” Vindalho is a type of curry dish made with several spices and aromatic ingredients.
Some of the main ingredients for preparing this dish include caramelized onions, coconut milk, ginger, vinegar, jalapeno, chilies, chickpeas, and garlic. Tumeric is also added to vindaloo; it is a considerable substitute for massaman.
What Makes Massaman Curry Different?
The main reason why massaman curry is different from other Thai curries is that it is made with several whole spices and peanuts. It typically tastes better than Thai’s red, green, and yellow curries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is similar to Massaman curry paste?
You can use any Thai/Malaysian curry pastes like laksa, yellow curry paste, or Indian curry pastes such as korma, madras, and vindaloo can be used as massaman curry paste alternative.
Is Massaman curry paste the same as red curry paste?
No, massaman curry paste is different from red curry paste. Red curry paste is bright and highly spiced with dried red chilis, while massaman curry paste is somewhat mild in heat and is made with spices found in Indian dishes such as cardamom and cinnamon.
Where can I buy massaman curry paste?
You can buy massaman curry paste on Amazon. And you can also get most of the ingredients you will use to prepare a homemade massaman curry paste at most Asian markets and supermarkets.
Is massaman curry Thai or Indian?
Massaman curry is basically a blend of both Thai and Indian-style curries. It’s made with both a dry whole spices like coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and cinnamon (Indian influence), and red-style curry paste (Thai influence).
Is massaman curry healthy?
Yes, massaman curry is healthy. But it’s worth noting that it’s often higher in calories.
Is Thai yellow curry the same as Massaman?
Massaman curry is actually a type of yellow curry; however, it’s relatively different from Thai yellow curry. The paste used in making Massaman curry starts as regular Thai yellow curry paste but this is mixed with extra, sweeter spices to make the Massaman flavor.
