(Serves 4)

 

Ingredients

2 duck breasts
½ onion, thinly sliced
2 cardamom pods
1 star anise
300ml coconut milk
1 tsp tamarind paste
10 new potatoes, halved
1 tbsp palm sugar
½ handful coriander, roughly chopped
Vegetable oil

 

Massaman curry paste

25g peanuts, toasted until brown
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 red chilli
15g fresh ginger
1 lemongrass stalk, crushed and chopped
½ tbsp palm sugar
1 ½ tsp fish sauce
½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
¼ nutmeg, grated
2 cardamom pods, split open and seeds removed
2 cloves
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

 

Method

  1. To make the curry paste, blend all of the ingredients into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if necessary. The leftover paste can be frozen for future use.
  2. For the curry, remove the skin from the duck breast, cut into 2cm cubes and season.
  3. Place a large frying pan over a high heat and add a small amount of vegetable oil. Once the pan begins to smoke, add the duck and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the onion until golden. Add the cardamom pods and star anise and then stir in the curry paste. Allow to sizzle for a few moments to cook off the spices.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook to infuse for 10 minutes and then add the potatoes, palm sugar and tamarind paste. Allow to cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
  6. Return the duck back to the pan. Cook until the potatoes are soft – this will indicate the curry is finished.
  7. Arrange with the curry onto plates, garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately with basmati rice.