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Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes > Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin

Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin

Updated: Feb 22nd 2020 • Published: Sep 4th 2019 • 7 Comments

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Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a black bowl with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a white casserole dish with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a black bowl with text at the top
two pictures of beef curry with text in the middle
two pictures of beef curry with text in the middle
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a white casserole dish with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a white casserole dish with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a black bowl with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a black bowl with text at the top
Thai Beef Massaman Curry in a black bowl with text at the top

This Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin is a mild Thai curry that’s easy to make and perfect for the whole family. 

The beef is slowed cooked in the oven with a delicious mixture of curry paste and coconut milk, then tender, caramelized, oven-baked pumpkin is added.

The recipe is can be made with store-bought massaman curry paste or use a homemade blend. Finish with crunchy peanuts, lime wedges and strips of red chili for those wanting a little spice. This really is a simple Thai curry!

overhead view of a black bowl of beef curry and rice

Jump Menu

  • Massaman Curry with Beef
  • What is Massaman curry?
  • How long does Massaman Curry take to make?
  • What beef to use?
  • Massaman Curry Paste
  • How to roast pumpkin
  • Is Massaman Curry spicy
  • What goes with Massaman Curry?
  • Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin Recipe

Massaman Curry with Beef

Massaman curry is one of our favorite Thai curries. It is packed with flavor but isn’t too spicy. 

You may have seen it on Thai menus as Massaman, Masuman, Masumun or Matsaman, and it is typically served with beef or chicken.

Here we use beef and also finish the dish with some wonderful roasted pumpkin. You can use potatoes, but we love the sweetness of the pumpkin and it makes it just that little bit healthier, without negatively impacting the flavor! WINNER!

What is Massaman curry?

Massaman is a Thai curry that takes influences from the Iranian, Indian and Malaysian range of spices.

The curry paste contains spices such as cumin, cinnamon, cardamon, fennel, spices that are more familiar in the Indian curries. 

But when mixed with more traditional Thai flavors like coconut, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves, Massaman curry becomes a rich and delicious dish!

Beef Massaman Curry in a shallow casserole dish

How long does Massaman Curry take to make?

Beef Massaman is a long slow cook, where the spices blend together and the beef becomes soft and tender. 

The recipe will take 3 hours but for most of that time, you can just sit back and do something else, as the curry cooks slowly in the oven. 

What beef to use?

Because of the long slow cooking, you can use a cheaper cut of beef designed for braising. I like to use beef chuck as it has a rich flavor and becomes meltingly tender. 

You can also use: round steak, blade steak, topside, shoulder steak, rump roast, or gravy beef. You could even use short ribs to make this Beef Massaman Curry!

You want to cut the beef into quite large chunks as they will shrink as they cook, plus this helps them to stay tender and juicy.

Just look at those juicy tender chunks of beef!

close up on the beef chunks in a curry

Massaman Curry Paste

For this recipe you can use store-bought curry paste or a homemade paste. You can use my recipe for Massaman Curry Paste. It is pretty straight forward.

But a good store-bought paste will work just as well here.

How to roast pumpkin

To roast the pumpkin, it gets cut into bite-sized chunks, drizzled with a little oil, seasoned with salt and then roasted in the oven along with the curry for the last 40 minutes.

The beauty of roasting pumpkin is you can leave the skin on! It gets all chewy and delicious. But feel free to peel the pumpkin if you prefer a smoother bite.

close up on the roasted pumpkin in the beef curry

Is Massaman Curry spicy

This is a relatively mild curry, it is richly flavored and packed with spice, but not hot spice, just wonderful aromatic spice that gives you great flavor without excessive chili heat.

If you like spicy curry then you can add chili/red pepper flakes to the recipe. Or serve the curry with plenty of sliced red chili peppers.

What goes with Massaman Curry?

This curry is perfect for serving with plain rice or Thai coconut rice, or this delicious pineapple rice from Greedy Gourmet. The rice is the ideal side for soaking up all the wonderful curry gravy!

For some delicious Thai side nibbles why not try:

  • Thai Shrimp Salad Appetizer Spoons
  • Thai Beef Skewers with Hot & Sour Dressing
  • Thai Oysters with a Lime and Cucumber Granita
  • Thai Pork Meatballs
a green table with a black bowl of Thai curry and rice with cilantro in the background

Enjoy x

For other delicious Thai inspired dishes why not try:

  • Quick and Easy Thai Fish
  • Thai Panang Chicken Curry
  • Mini Thai Chicken Meatballs
  • Thai Mussels
  • Thai Pork Meatballs
  • Thai Yellow Fish Curry (Kitchen Sanctuary)
  • Thai Basil Pork Stir Fry (Scrummy Lane)
  • Thai Curried Lentils (Stacey Homemaker)

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close up on a black bowl of Thai beef curry and rice
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5 from 5 votes

Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin Recipe

For a family friendly mild Thai curry check out this slow cooked Beef Massaman Curry with Pumpkin. The beef is coated in curry paste (storebought or homemade) and then cooked long and slow in the oven with coconut milk and broth. The result is tender meat, packed with flavor. The pumpkin is roasted in the oven alongside, making this an easy hands free dish! Serve with rice for a comforting, easy dinner.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time2 hrs 40 mins
Total Time2 hrs 55 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 4 -6 people
Calories: 554kcal
Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
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Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)

Ingredients

US Customary – Grams
  • 1 tbsp oil – see note 1
  • 1.5 lb beef chuck – see note 2
  • 5 tbsp massaman curry paste – see note 3
  • 1 can coconut cream (400ml/13.5floz can)
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 onions – cut into chunks
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts – unsalted or salted is fine
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 cups pumpkin – cut into 1 inch/2½ cm chunks – see note 4
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 red chili – deseeded and finely sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 320ºF/160ºC.
  • Cut the beef into large bite-sized chunks.
  • Heat the oil in a large dutch oven, then add the beef chunks and the curry paste.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the coconut cream, beef broth, chopped onion, kaffir lime leaves, brown sugar, fish sauce and half of the roasted peanuts.
  • Stir well and bring to a simmer.
  • Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 2 hours and 40 minutes.

After 2 hours get the pumpkin in the oven.

  • Lay the pumpkin on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil, season generously with salt.
  • Place the pumpkin in the oven and roast for 40 minutes. By this time the curry will have had its full time.
  • Add the roasted pumpkin to the curry, sprinkle with sliced chili and the remaining roasted peanuts.

Notes

  1. I use coconut oil, but you can use any neutral oil for this curry.
  2. You can also use round steak, blade steak, topside, shoulder steak, rump roast, or gravy beef. You could even use short ribs to make this Beef Massaman Curry!
  3. A good store-bought paste is fine, or you can make your own using my recipe here.
  4. There is no need to peel the pumpkin as the skin will cook and become chewy and delicious in the oven. But feel free to peel it if you prefer.

Nutrition

Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6921IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 5mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. georgie says

    Oct 8th 2019 at 3:18 am

    5 stars
    massaman curry is my absolute favourite curry recipe! this looks amazing Claire, so hearty for a cold winter’s night!

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Oct 8th 2019 at 8:23 am

      Thank you Georgie

      Reply
  2. Anne Lawton says

    Oct 7th 2019 at 2:59 am

    5 stars
    This looks so good with so many flavors going on in there, yum!

    Reply
  3. lauren says

    Oct 6th 2019 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    So many good things going on in this recipe! Loving the use of pumpkin with the curry and beef. This is going to be a perfect date night in dish!

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Oct 6th 2019 at 11:58 am

      Thank you Lauren 😀

      Reply
  4. Bernice M Hill says

    Oct 2nd 2019 at 10:40 am

    This curry looks so perfect and mouthwatering…definitely pinning for later! Massaman curry is a favourite in this house but I’ve only made it once and we didn’t enjoy the recipe.

    Reply
  5. Ben says

    Oct 1st 2019 at 6:58 pm

    5 stars
    I have to make this. I love beef, and I love curry, especially during the fall and winter. This seems like a winner for me!

    Reply

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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

I believe cooking for those you love should be stress free and simple.

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