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Dining In: Thai One On
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Recipes for Resort-Made Meals
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BY REGINA SCHRAMBLING
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| A bowl of massaman curry; a longtail boat in Maya Bay, off Thailand’s southern coast. |
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A robust curry for cool autumn nights
Thailand’s curries are fiery, but the massaman versions found in the south are a nuanced balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet. The name is thought to come from Muslim traders who traveled the Spice Route from Persia to India with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
This curry tastes best with beef, but you can also make it with chicken or duck. Find the ingredients, including the curry paste, in a typical Thai market (even a U.S. one). Once all the elements are combined, let it slowly stew, then serve over jasmine rice. A salad of cucumbers pickled with ginger and garlic will counter the richness.
MASSAMAN BEEF CURRY
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ lbs. chuck or round steak, cut into 1½-inch cubes
2 tbsp. fresh galangal or ginger, julienned
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
3–5 tbsp. massaman curry paste
1 14-oz. can coconut cream (not sweetened)
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. tamarind paste
2 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
6 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch cubes
2–3 Thai bird chiles
Kaffir lime leaves or Thai basil for garnish
Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches; brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl. Add galangal, onion, cinnamon and 3 tbsp. of curry paste (or more, to taste) to pan and cook, stirring, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Lower heat. Return meat to pan and stir in coconut cream, coconut milk, sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and half the peanuts. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 1½ hours. Add potatoes and continue cooking until beef is very tender and potatoes are soft (about 30 minutes longer). Cut chiles into thin slices and sprinkle over curry, along with the remaining peanuts and lime leaves or basil. Serves four.
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts in Thailand include:
MTC AT THE LEGACY RIVER KWAI
A secluded resort in a lush jungle setting,
with a swimming pool, a children’s pool and
a floating restaurant on the river. 129 Moo 2,
Klong-Do Subdistrict, Darnmakamtia District
TAI-PAN HOTEL
Great views of Bangkok from the rooftop
pool. Restaurants, nightclubs and malls
nearby. 25 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Bangkok
For more information and
additional resort listings,
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476
Club Members, please call your specific
Club or RCI telephone number.
Non-RCI affiliated resorts:
LE MÉRIDIEN BANGKOK
A high-rise hotel with tastefully done rooms,
just off tony Silom Road. 40/5 Surawong Rd.,
Bangkok; 800-543-4300; starwoodhotels.com;
doubles from $205 per night
METROPOLITAN BANGKOK HOTEL
An oasis in the heart of the city, with a
Zen-like lobby and yoga mats in every room.
27 S. Sathorn Rd., Bangkok; 800-337-4685;
metropolitan.bangkok.como.bz; doubles from
$105 per night
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: Fall 2011
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Photos: Regina Schrambling; Istockphoto
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