Beef Massaman Curry Pie

Featured on Eva Pau’s Asian Kitchen Season 2 Episode 4. This dish combines the deep comfort of a traditional pie with the fragrant complexity of Thai massaman curry. Tender beef is simmered in a homemade spice paste with coconut milk, tamarind, and roasted peanuts until rich and deeply flavoured, then baked beneath crisp puff pastry for a hearty fusion centrepiece.

Beef Massaman Curry Pie

A rich and aromatic pie filled with slow-cooked beef massaman curry, sweet coconut sauce, potatoes, carrots, and peanuts, finished with golden puff pastry.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian Fusion, Thai

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Curry Filling

• 900 g beef chuck cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces
• 2 small onions finely sliced
• 300 g potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
• 200 g carrots chopped
• 1 can coconut milk
• 200 ml beef stock
• 40 g palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
• 100 g roasted salted peanuts
• ½ tsp salt

Pastry

• 1 sheet ready-to-roll puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten (for egg wash)

Massaman Paste

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 8 cardamom seeds
• 4 cloves
• 5 dried small red chillies soaked for 10–15 minutes
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 banana shallots
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 2- inch galangal peeled and sliced
• 3 stalks lemongrass white parts only, finely sliced
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp shrimp paste or 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

 

Make the Massaman Paste

1. Heat a small dry frying pan over low heat.
2. Toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and cardamom for 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Transfer to a blender with all remaining paste ingredients.
4. Blend until smooth.

Cook the Curry Filling

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan.
2. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 minute until aromatic.
3. Add sliced onions and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and carrots, cooking for another 2 minutes.
6. Pour in coconut milk and beef stock.
7. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, peanuts, and salt.
8. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for 20 minutes.
9. Remove lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes until beef is tender and sauce thickens.

Assemble the Pie

1. Spoon the curry into a casserole dish and allow to cool slightly.
2. Cover with puff pastry, pressing edges firmly to seal.
3. Trim excess pastry and crimp edges.
4. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Bake for 20–25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Notes

• Cooling the filling before adding pastry prevents sogginess.
• Beef chuck works best because it becomes tender during simmering.
• The curry filling can be made ahead for deeper flavour.