Massaman Curry แกงมัสมั่น
A mild, rich curry of beef or chicken with potatoes, peanuts and warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon and clove.
- Spice:
- 🌶 Mild
- Also spelled:
- matsaman, mussaman curry
What is Massaman Curry?
Massaman is the gentlest of the big Thai curries and the most fragrant: coconut milk and a paste heavy with dried spices — cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cumin — slow-cooked with beef or chicken, potatoes, onion and roasted peanuts, balanced with tamarind and palm sugar.
Those spices point to Persian and Indian-Muslim influence that arrived via traders at the Ayutthaya court; massaman even appears in a poem attributed to King Rama II.
It is a dish for roti as much as rice, which is why Bangkok’s Muslim kitchens are the place to eat it.
Regional versions
Southern and Thai-Muslim shops serve it with roti; restaurants in Bangkok often make it with braised beef shank.
How to order it
“Massaman neua” (beef) or “gai” (chicken); add “roti” on the side.
Watch: Massaman Curry on YouTube
Embedded from the creators’ own channels (Mark Wiens, J. Kenji López-Alt, Pailin's Kitchen). View counts as of 14 Oct 2026.
Top 3 places not to miss for Massaman Curry
Only places backed by the MICHELIN Guide, reputable food press or a creator who filmed there; each one shows its source. We list fewer rather than pad the list.
- 1. Roti-MatabaPhra Athit Road, Banglamphu (a walk from Khao San), Bangkok
Old Banglamphu roti shop: beef massaman with flaky roti.
Source: Travelfish Google Maps ↗ - 2. Usman Thai Muslim FoodSukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok
Halal Thai-Muslim kitchen recommended for massaman.
Source: Bangkok Got Me Google Maps ↗ - 3. Saneh JaanLumphini, Bangkok
Refined royal-style Thai cooking; massaman and an herbal green curry are on the menu.
More by city: Bangkok food map