This fragrant and flavorful Thai Instant Pot Massaman Curry recipe has creamy coconut, tender beef, potatoes, and crunchy peanuts that combine to make this a highly satisfying dish that can be put together quickly for a delicious weeknight meal.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Have I already mentioned how much I love Thai food? I especially love Thai coconut curries! One of my favorite Thai curries is Massaman (pronounced muss-uh-maan) curry, which is a mild curry and doesn’t taste as spicy as a red, green , panang or yellow curry.
Massaman curry is typically made with beef or chicken in Thai restaurants. The taste of Thai massaman curry reminds me so much of Indian coconut-based curries because the massaman curry paste has cumin, coriander, and some of the essential ingredients of the Indian spice garam masala: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves.
Thai massaman curry is said to have come to Thailand from Persia, which is also how many North Indian curries came to India. Massaman curry is also known as Muslim Curry because it originated in the Muslim communities of Thailand.
But Massaman Curry is Thai through and through, due to the addition of quintessential Thai ingredients in the massaman curry paste (galangal ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass).
When I posted my Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken recipe, I got a few messages/comments about fish sauce. Raw fish sauce, yes, can smell fishy. But when you put it in a dish, the fish taste and smell go away, and I believe it’s essential to Thai curries.
There is no substitute. If you want Thai dishes like the ones you get in your favorite Thai restaurant, you should use fish sauce. In a pinch – and I’m not saying it’ll be the same – you can use soy sauce.
My other Instant Pot Thai curry recipes are as delicious as this recipe, but they all have different flavors. And of course, you’ve got to serve this pressure cooker beef massaman curry with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice – oh my, it’s so satisfying and good!
Here are some other super easy Thai recipes you’re going to love!
– Instant Pot Thai Red Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Green Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles
– Instant Pot Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
– Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
– Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
[Read: Instant Pot Pot-in-Pot Cooking Method to learn how to cook rice and curry together!]
Tips and Substitutions
Tamarind Paste
This recipe requires tamarind paste, which is easy to make from slabs of tamarind pulp that you can find at East Asian or South Asian stores. This is my Instant Pot Tamarind Paste recipe (try and make it ahead of time). Tamarind paste adds tartness to dishes.
If you use a purchased tamarind paste, the quantity required varies. If using Indian tamarind paste such as Tamicon, you should start out with a smaller quantity (about 1 teaspoon mixed with some hot water) and taste at the end before you add more.
If using this Thai tamarind concentrate, you might need to use more than the beef massaman curry recipe suggests. The first time you make the dish, be on the safe side and add one tablespoon to start with, and adjust at the end. If you don’t want to use tamarind at all, you can substitute lime juice.
Thai Curry Paste
For the Thai massaman curry paste, there are two brands that I like: Maesri and Mae Ploy. I use Maesri because I use the whole can for the massaman curry recipe. No leftover curry paste to store in the fridge.
If you use the Mae Ploy brand of massaman curry paste, you might need to go easy on the fish sauce because Mae Ploy is saltier than the Maesri brand and fish sauce is salty too.
Fish Sauce
I really like the quality of Red Boat fish sauce which you can find at Asian grocery stores or on amazon. But it is more expensive than other fish sauce brands. Tiparos is another brand of fish sauce I’ve used – it’s more affordably priced.
There’s no substitute for fish sauce. It adds that depth of flavor, the umami, to the curry. I’ve had vegetarian readers recommend the Fysh brand of sauce. But I haven’t tried it. You may need to add a little extra.
Soy sauce is also a substitute for fish sauce, but there is a flavor difference.
Coconut Milk
I use full-fat coconut milk. I find some coconut milk brands don’t do well during pressure cooking, including some brands that are widely available at grocery stores. My two favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Some readers recommend Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can omit the water. The brands of coconut milk I use are thick, so the water doesn’t make the curry too thin, for my tastes.
Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is more authentic to a Thai curry than brown sugar is. However, I frequently use brown sugar without sacrificing taste.
Meats and Tofu
I use beef stew meat or London broil and the cooking time I’ve provided is just right. If you use a different cut of beef, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
You can easily substitute other meats or tofu for the beef, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time – here are some approximate times. Note: the timing for meat is for bite-size pieces!
- Pork shoulder: 8 minutes Natural Pressure Release (NPR)
- Chicken: 4 minutes NPR
- Extra-firm tofu, cubed: 2 minutes, Quick Release (QR)
Potatoes
I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes. The potatoes come out well done if using the 5-minute pressure cook time. If you would like them to be more firm, you can reduce the pressure cook time to 3 minutes.
Spiciness
Thai massaman curry is not a spicy dish, so people who don’t like spicy foods will probably be okay with using a whole can of Thai massaman curry paste.
If you’re concerned about spice, reduce the quantity of the curry paste. Start with just 3 or 4 tablespoons of the massaman curry paste, and next time you can adjust the heat as needed.
Doubling the Recipe
You can double all the ingredients in the recipe and pressure cook for the same amount of time. Just make sure your ingredients don’t go past the 2/3-full mark.
Splatter Screen
When you’re sauteing the coconut milk with the curry paste, the mixture can bubble up and splatter. I like to use a splatter screen to cover the inner pot during the saute process.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, or Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
Instant Pot Thai Massaman Curry Ingredients
- Beef
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Peanuts
- Curry paste
- Coconut milk
- Fish sauce
- Tamarind paste
- Brown sugar
How to Pressure Cook Thai Massaman Curry in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute spices and coconut milk
- Add beef and remaining coconut milk
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Add vegetables
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Stir to combine
Turn on ‘Saute’ Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute spices and coconut milk
- Stir together Thai massaman curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk.
- Saute until mixture is bubbly, a minute or two. A splatter screen is very useful to prevent splatters and a mess on your countertops.
Add beef and remaining coconut milk
- Press Cancel to turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in beef, remaining coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘15′ (15 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 15 minutes (00:15).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add vegetables
- Stir in potatoes, onions, and roasted peanuts.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘5′ (5 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Stir to combine
- Stir up the curry and serve over Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Thai Instant Pot Massaman Curry with Beef
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Thai massaman curry paste – preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand
- 14 oz. coconut milk – (1 can), preferably Aroy D or Chaokoh brand
- 2 lb beef stew meat – 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp tamarind paste – or Thai tamarind concentrate **
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce – or to taste
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar – or palm sugar, to taste
- 2 cups potatoes – 1-inch cubes *
- 1/2 cup onion – 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Stir together massaman curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk and cook in Saute mode until mixture is bubbly, about two minutes.
- Press Cancel to turn off Instant Pot. Stir in beef, remaining coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
- Close Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure (You can also choose to do a natural release). Read more about pressure release methods.
- Open Instant Pot and stir in potatoes, onions, and peanuts.
- Close Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully stir Instant Pot Massaman Curry.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Transfer Instant Pot Beef Massaman Curry to a serving dish. Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice..
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- Use a
splatter screen if necessary, in the first step, to guard against coconut milk bubbling up. - You may substitute chicken for the beef. Be sure to adjust the cooking time.
- * I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes.
- ** If using purchased tamarind paste, the quantity required may vary. If using Tamicon brand, start with 1 tsp; if using Thai tamarind concentrate, start with 1 Tbsp. Adjust for more at the end.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips
Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Alice
Missing flavor. It tasted watered down and the potatoes were too cooked. I suggest omitting the water and reducing the last cook time to 3 minutes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Alice, the first question I always ask when I get comments such as yours is whether you used the paste and coconut milk that I recommend. If so, then it sounds like you need to use more curry paste and omit the water. With the potatoes, you can reduce cook time as you suggested.
Angela
This is my go to recipe for Massaman. Thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay! Thanks, Angela.
Gaana
This is our go to Massaman recipe. Never disappoints. Easy and super delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Gaana! I’m so happy that you like the recipe 🙂
John
Hello,
I’m running into an issue where my coconut milk separates from the curry once pressure cooked. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
The final product looks like coconut solids suspended in oil and water. It still tastes delicious though, but just not appealing. Could it be the acidity of my tamarind paste?
Paint the Kitchen Red
John, the first question I always ask in these cases is what brand of coconut milk did you use? If you use the brands I recommend you shouldn’t have an issue with a curdled appearance once you stir everything up after cooking. If you have used the recommended brands, then your theory is a possibility.
Kunal
So easy to make, and so delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Glad to hear you liked the recipe, Kunal!
Blake
Really enjoyed the recipe. I added broccoli, bell pepper, and cauliflower with the potatoes and onions. I also added an extra tablespoon of red curry for a kick and to compensate for extra veggies. Turned out amazing! Thanks will make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Blake, thank you very much – glad you enjoyed it.
Virginia
We had this for dinner tonight and even my fussiest kids enjoyed it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for your comment, Virginia.
Jesse
This looks great – I can’t wait to try it out this week!
Couple of questions – how does the beef turn out on this? I’ve always loved the ‘pull-apart’ effect that the authentic beef massaman curries get from hours of stewing. Does this happen with your recipe?
Finally, is there a reason you opted for coconut milk instead of coconut cream? I’ve always seen massaman made with the latter, so just wondered how this works out in comparison..
Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jesse, I find it to be quite tender because I use chuck roast. If you use a leaner beef, you wouldn’t get that. You can cook for the stated time, and if it’s not tender enough for you, just pressure cook it for another 2 minutes. Hope you like it. Do let me know.
Ceri
Unfortunately for us this recipe was very underwhelming! I used mae ploy massaman sauce, tamarind from the Asian supermarket etc.. it was quite thin which in itself wasn’t that much of an issue, but it had no flavour at all really.. I think it needs a lot more massaman paste and some salt in there. It barely even had a mild Thai flavour to it. It looked like a massaman but unfortunately tasted like a very bland stew. Such a shame! Won’t be making this one again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Ceri, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t meet your expectations. I write the recipes as I make them and they suit my family’s tastes. But it’s possible that you need to have a very strong massaman curry flavor, so I’d suggest you add 1 more tablespoon of curry paste to suit your tastes.
Molly
Massaman Curry is my most favorite thing to get from Thai restaurants, and I was so excited to try this! While it was cooking, my whole kitchen smelled EXACTLY like it does at the restaurant! I was so excited to try it, but when we actually started eating it, the flavors were extremely muted. My husband and I could barely taste any of the delicious flavor we smelled. Did I do something wrong?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Molly, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Did you use the Maesri or Mae Ploy brand paste? If so, then I think your palate requires about 25 to 50% more spice paste. Pressure cooking does mute spices (in my experience). I like the spice level as is, but I would be open to increasing the quantity. Thanks for your feedback.
Jen
We loved this recipe, especially my kid who doesn’t do spicy food. I forgot to get tamarind paste, so substituted lime juice instead. (Will try with tamarind next time!) I had bigger chunks of beef (frozen and cut previously), so I increased cooking time to 25 minutes. It was perfect. Thanks!!
Yolie
Hi – I’ve never cooked with Tamarind before, is the taste similar to lime juice if I were to substitute it as you mentioned or will the curry taste “different” without tamarind? also would tamarind sauce be ok too or is paste better?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yolie, tamarind is very different from lime. It has a sour sweet flavor, but you could substitute lime if you can’t get your hands on tamarind.