"Sitting on a curb" Massaman Curry

The first time I had massaman curry was sitting on a curb with my now husband Brett. We had just begun dating and were craving Thai food after playing volleyball with some friends. We ended up getting our food to-go and sat outside the restaurant on the curb and scarfed down some delicious curry. I was hooked. I was also determined to learn how to make it myself. So I found a recipe that didn't look too intimidating and went for it. The result was deliciousness and since then I've made it a few more times. This past time I made some healthy substitutes and loved it just as much. Don't be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients. If you have a good amount of spices in your cupboard, you'll be in good shape. My husband and I eat it over brown rice and sometimes with some roti from our local Indian market. Yum!

Massaman Curry
(Serves 6, with rice)

• I block extra fim tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
• 1-2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk)
• 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup onion, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, minced
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup good-tasting chicken broth, or stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cardamon (or two green cardamon pods)
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp.  brown sugar

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil in the pan and saute the onion, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth plus the following: bay leaves, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, white pepper, cardamon, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir with each addition and bring to a light boil.

Add the coconut milk and potatoes. Stir and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, or just until you get a good simmer.

In a separate skillet, fry the cubed tofu in olive oil or Pam until light brown.

Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken and potatoes are tender. Add red pepper and Tofu during last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. I cover with a lid for the first 30 minutes and then remove the lid to let it thicken a little for the last 10 minutes. 

Remove the bay leaves and cardamon pods. Serve on top of rice. Enjoy!