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1
Blend the Bumbu Spice Paste
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, ground turmeric, red chillies, ground coriander and ground cumin into a blender with 2 tablespoons of water. Blend to a smooth, thick paste, stopping twice to scrape the sides down. It should look like a golden-orange purée with no visible chunks.
If the blender struggles, add water one tablespoon at a time — too much water makes the paste hard to fry later.
Done when: The paste is smooth, thick and golden-orange, with no chunks.
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2
Brown the Goat
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the goat chunks in a single layer, working in two batches if needed, and brown them on all sides for about 8 minutes. Do not crowd the pot — the meat should sizzle and brown, not steam. Lift the browned goat out onto a plate.
Leave the browned bits stuck to the pot; they dissolve into the sauce and add deep flavour.
Done when: The goat is browned on most sides and smells roasted.
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3
Fry the Paste Until Fragrant
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Turn the heat to medium and add the spice paste to the same pot. Fry, stirring constantly, for 6–8 minutes until the paste darkens a shade, the oil starts to separate at the edges and the kitchen smells intensely of spice. Add the lemongrass, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and torn kaffir lime leaves and fry for 1 more minute.
Frying the paste is the step that makes or breaks a gulai — raw paste tastes harsh, fried paste tastes deep and rounded.
Done when: The paste is darker, glossy with separated oil, and very fragrant.
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4
Add Coconut Milk and Simmer
60 Mins
Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Return the goat to the pot. Pour in the coconut milk and water, add the tamarind paste and palm sugar, and stir to dissolve. Bring to a gentle simmer — small bubbles breaking the surface, never a rolling boil, or the coconut milk may split. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so nothing catches on the bottom.
If the sauce looks like splitting, turn the heat down and stir in a splash of cold water.
Done when: The goat is nearly tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce has thickened.
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5
Season and Reduce the Sauce
20 Mins
Low heat, about 90°C (195°F)
Take the lid off and keep simmering for 15–20 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the goat is completely tender, falling easily from the bone. Stir in the salt, taste, and adjust with a little more tamarind if it needs brightness or a pinch more palm sugar if it needs rounding. Fish out the lemongrass, cinnamon stick, star anise and lime leaves.
Taste at this point, not earlier — the flavours concentrate as the sauce reduces, so early seasoning misleads you.
Done when: The goat is spoon-tender and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
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6
Rest and Serve
10 Mins
Off the heat, about 60°C (140°F)
Take the pot off the heat, stir in the lime juice and let the curry rest for 10 minutes so the sauce settles and the flavours marry. Spoon the gulai kambing into bowls over steamed jasmine rice, with cucumber pickles and sambal on the side.
Like most curries, gulai kambing tastes even better the next day — the spices keep working overnight.
Done when: The sauce is glossy and settled, and the goat is hot through.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the curry for 10 minutes off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and serve hot over steamed rice with pickles and sambal. This gulai kambing is a thick, spoon-coating curry — not a thin soup — so ladle the sauce generously over the rice.
Indonesia
35m
