Goat Curry (Gulai Kambing)
Gulai Kambing Say it: goo-LYE KAHM-bing
Gulai kambing is Sumatra's slow-simmered goat curry, the pride of Padang and Minangkabau kitchens. Chunks of bone-in goat are bathed in coconut milk and a deep, brick-red spice paste of shallots, chilies, candlenut, turmeric, galangal and lemongrass, then cooked until the meat yields and the sauce turns thick and glossy. It is served at family gatherings and festive meals with rice or ketupat. The taste is rich and warming — creamy coconut up front, gentle heat behind, and a savory, aromatic depth from the whole spices.
Goat Curry (Gulai Kambing)
Gulai Kambing
Pronounced goo-LYE KAHM-bing
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 40 min
- Total
- 2 hr 5 min
- Level
- Medium
Also egg-free.
Allergens: contains nuts. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Spice paste
Curry
To serve
Method
Dry-toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns in a small pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and the coriander seeds darken slightly. Tip into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Put the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, chilies, turmeric, ginger, galangal and the toasted spice powder in a blender with 3 tbsp water. Blend to a smooth, thick paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-low. Add the paste, lemongrass, lime leaves, salam leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise. Fry, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes, until the water cooks off, the paste darkens to brick red and the oil separates at the edges of the pot.
Add the goat and turn it in the paste for 4–5 minutes, until every piece loses its raw color and the spices smell sweet and toasted.
Pour in the coconut milk and water, add the palm sugar and salt, and bring to a bare simmer — small bubbles at the edge only. Do not let it boil hard.
Cover partly and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the meat is tender enough to pull away from the bone with a fork.
Uncover and simmer for another 15–20 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the meat and a red-orange layer of oil pools on the surface. Taste and adjust the salt and sugar.
Ladle into a deep bowl, scatter the fried shallots over the top and serve with steamed rice.
Regional variants
In Java, gulai kambing is often cooked with chunks of potato and a thinner, more turmeric-forward broth. In Padang kitchens the same spice paste is used for beef (gulai sapi) and chicken (gulai ayam).
Cook's notes
- Candlenuts must always be cooked — never taste the paste raw. Macadamia nuts or raw cashews are the closest easy substitute.
- Keep the coconut milk at a bare simmer and stir now and then; a rolling boil can make it split and turn grainy.
- Bone-in goat gives the best sauce. If you only find boneless meat, shorten the simmer by about 20 minutes and add 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra water.
Serve with
Steamed white rice or ketupat, cucumber and shallot pickle (acar), and a spoon of sambal.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen; the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of coconut milk.
