Gulai: Indonesian Style Curry

Gulai is a dish made from chicken meat, various fish, goat, cow, offal, or vegetables such as young jackfruit and cassava leaves, which is processed in a delicious spice sauce. Characteristic of gulai is the spice-rich herbs such as turmeric, cilantro, pepper, galangal, ginger, red pepper, onion, garlic, fennel, nutmeg, lemongrass, cinnamon and cumin are mashed, mixed, then cooked in coconut milk. This cuisine has a characteristic yellow color due to the influence of saffron juice. This food is regarded as another form of gulai, and is internationally often referred to as Indonesian-style curry, although in Indonesian culinary arts there is also found curry.

Gulai is one type of dish that is widely spread in the archipelago, especially in Sumatra and Java and the Malay Peninsula. This dish comes from Sumatra as a result of the influence and application of Indian cooking arts rich in spices such as curry. Gulai is one of the best known base dish in Minangkabau cuisine, the yellow curry sauce as seasoning and provides flavors for the various dishes served at Padang's restaurant. The Gravy or seasoning of gulai is usually thick in Minangkabau, Malay, and Aceh dishes, but in Java the gravy is more fluid and becomes a hot soup served with meat or goat offal. The use of thin coconut milk and goat meat broth makes it tasty.

Gulai is usually served with hot rice, but some recipes such as goat curry can be served with rolled bread. The following is a variety of gulai according to its ingredients:

Meat

• Gulai sapi (beef gulai)
• Gulai kambing (goat gulai)

Poultry

• Gulai ayam (chicken gulai)
• Gulai telur (hard boiled chicken egg gulai)
• Gulai hati ampela (chicken liver, intestine, and gizzard gulai)

Fish and seafood

• Gulai ikan kakap (red snapper gulai)
• Gulai ikan mas (carp gulai)
• Gulai cumi (cuttle fish gulai)

Vegetables

• Gulai daun singkong (cassava leaf gulai)
• Gulai jengkol (Archidendron pauciflorum gulai)
• Gulai cubadak (unripe jackfruit gulai)