Also known as แกงมัสมั่น, มัสมั่นไก่, Matsaman, Gaeng Massaman Gai, Thai Beef Massaman.
A slow cooked coconut curry with chicken or beef, potato, onion and roasted peanuts, flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and tamarind. Southern Thai Muslim origin, mild, sweet and rich.
325kcal / 1 bowl (curry only)
A cup of massaman gai is about 325 calories, per the Thai Department of Health. That is roughly 90 more than green or red curry, because massaman adds potato (40 calories), peanuts (45) and more palm sugar to the same coconut base. With a 200g plate of rice the meal is about 585 calories.
Nutrition facts
Per 1 bowl (curry only) (250g)
Amount
Per 100g
Calories
325 kcal
130 kcal
Protein
16 g
6 g
Carbs
22 g
9 g
Fat
19 g
8 g
Where the calories come from
Coconut milk80g
145 kcal
Chicken or beef60g
110 kcal
Potato50g
40 kcal
Roasted peanuts8g
45 kcal
Onion, tamarind, palm sugar, spices30g
15 kcal
The real talk
Massaman is the curry that wins international polls and it is also the heaviest of the standard four. Green and red curries are about 240 per cup. Panang is around 320. Massaman is 325 in the official table and can go to 500 in a restaurant serving, because it is the one curry where the extras (potato, peanuts, fried shallots) all bring their own calories on top of the coconut milk.
Beef massaman is a bigger portion than chicken in most restaurants, since a braised chunk of brisket or shin runs 100 to 120g against 60g of chicken in a food court ladle. Beef massaman from a sit down restaurant is closer to 450 per bowl. The tamarind and palm sugar mean there is about 10g of sugar in there as well, which is why it tastes like it does.
It is still a decent plate of food. 16g of protein, and the potato means you need less rice to feel full. A bowl of massaman with 150g of rice is about 520 calories and it will hold you for hours. The mistake is treating it like a soup and eating it with a full plate of rice plus roti on the side.
How the portions compare
260 kcal
Small cup
325 kcal
Standard bowl (chicken)
710 kcal
Restaurant beef bowl with rice
Massaman Curry variants, ranked by calories
Variant
Calories
Notes
Massaman gai (chicken)
325 kcal
Thai Department of Health figure
Massaman nuea (beef)
450 kcal
Restaurant portion, bigger meat chunks
Massaman with roti
600 kcal
One roti adds about 275
How to eat it lighter
Order chicken rather than beef; the food court chicken version is 325 while restaurant beef is nearer 450.
Eat the potato and skip half the rice; the potato already covers the carbs.
Leave the fried shallot and extra peanut topping some shops sprinkle on; that is another 60 to 80 calories.
Massaman with roti instead of rice sounds lighter but is not: one Thai roti is 250 to 300 calories, more than a small plate of rice.
Common questions
How many calories in massaman curry with rice?
About 585 for a food court chicken massaman over a 200g plate of rice. A restaurant beef massaman with rice is closer to 700.
Why is massaman higher in calories than green curry?
Same coconut milk base, but massaman adds potato, roasted peanuts, fried shallots and more palm sugar. Those extras add roughly 90 calories a cup.
Is massaman curry healthy?
It is filling and has 16g of protein a bowl, but 19g of fat and about 10g of sugar. One bowl with a modest rice portion is fine; it is not a dish to have daily.
Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or food court serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.
Calorie figure based on Thai Department of Health (กรมอนามัย) via hdmall.co.th: gaeng massaman gai 1 cup = 325 kcal. Macros estimated from the ingredients.