[Indonesian Recipes] Gulai Ayam (Chicken Curry) (2024)

All South East Asian countries would have their own signature curry dishes. I love Thai’s yellow curry. And of course, the mother of all curry dishes, Indian curry. We have a couple of version of curries, kariis the most runny type of curry. Then rendang is the driest type and needed to be cooked the longest.Gulai lies somewhere in between. We have Chicken Curry gulai often for lunches. Gulai curry is most common cooked using chicken meat. Lamb is also popular. The gravy is slightly thickened with longer cooking time and is best served with rice, although I love it with thick crusted bread now and then.

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It is easy to make curry gulai from scratch, if you have all the ingredients ready. Grind everything up, cook them in a pot, add the meat ingredient and the rest of dried spices and lastly, the coconut milk. It would be a great challenge for those who live in places where not all of these ingredients are available. But I often find that you can actually omit some if you really don’t have them. Pre-packaged spices for gulai is a great substitute, but often we grind extra shallots and garlic and mix the paste with the bought spices. Also, add some extra lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, if possible. For extra heat, add some chili paste.

If you are up for it, gather all the ingredients and make some from scratch. It is easy. It is fun.

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The gulai curry gets its rich color from these chilies, fresh red chilies and dried chillies. The fresh chilies should be more than the dried ones, as beside giving the curry the dark red hue, it is slightly bitter and way more spicier. Be sure to remove the seeds of both type of chilies if you like your curry to be mild.

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The other fresh spices used are galangal, candlenuts, shallots, ginger and garlic cloves.

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Dried spices includes cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom, cloves, cumin and coriander seeds.

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Palm sugar (or gula merah) and tamarind pulp

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Fresh herbs would be kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and salam leaves.

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One whole chicken, chopped into smaller pieces. We normally cut our chicken into 8 bigger pieces or 16 smaller ones. Whichever you prefer.

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Grind chilies, garlic, shallots, coriander, salt, candlenuts, cumin, galangal and ginger.

When it resembles coarse paste, transfer it to an electric blender.

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I finish it off with a quick pulse for five seconds to finish it off. You can just grind the spices either in mortar and pestle or electric blender.

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Process them as fine as possible.

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Combine all the rest of the ingredients, except chicken and liquids, in a stockpot big enough to hold all the liquid calls for in the recipe. Stir fry over medium heat for 10 minutes.

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Add chicken, palm sugar and tamarind pulp into the pot and continue cooking the spices until fragrant and becomes darker.

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Add water to the pot and mix well.

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Cook the curry over low heat for half an hour, till the herbs and spices soaked through the chicken.

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The liquid would evaporate slightly and the chicken would be nicely cooked.

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Add coconut milk into the curry. Cook over low heat for another 15 minutes.

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The curry is ready to be served. Serve warm with some rice. The curry is better known as “gulai ayam“. Enjoy!

Gulai Ayam (Chicken Curry)

Makes 6-8 servings


Ingredients:

50 g fresh red chilies
10 g dried chilies
40 g galangal
5 candlenuts
10 shallots
3 garlic
3 g fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
7 kaffir lime leaves
40 g palm sugar, gula merah
5 g tamarind pulp
7 salam leaves
3 stalks lemongrass
3 cm cinnamon stick
6 cloves
3 cardamom
1/2 star anise
5 g coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
600 g coconut milk
800 g water

1 whole chicken, cut into 16 pieces

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Directions:

1. Grind chilies, garlic, shallots, coriander, salt, candlenuts, cumin, galangal and ginger to fine paste.


2. Stir fry paste over medium heat with the rest of the ingredients, except water, coconut milk and chicken for 5 minutes, till fragrant and paste turns darker.


3. Add chicken, palm sugar and tamarind pulp into the pot and cook for 5 more minutes.


4. Pour water into the pot and let boil for 30 minutes over medium heat. The chicken should be cooked through during this stage.


5. Add coconut milk into the pot and cook for another 15-20 minutes.


6. Remove from heat and serve warm.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website:Indochinekitchen.com. Thanks so much!

[Indonesian Recipes] Gulai Ayam (Chicken Curry) (2024)

FAQs

What is Gulai called in English? ›

Gulai is often described as Indonesian curry, although it is also considered a local dish in Malaysia and Singapore. Gulai is a common name to refer to curry dishes in the country, although Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisine also recognise kari (curry).

What is Ayam Gulai? ›

Ayam Gulai is a traditional Indonesian curry chicken. dish that's not only really aromatic but also really easy. to make. Try making this dish and enjoy it with bread, rice or. even on its own.

What is the difference between kari Ayam and Rendang? ›

Rendang is thick and not soupy like kari. Rendang also made with much more complex ingredients compared to kari. Kari is basically what we call curry in English, but rendang is technically not a curry (though many people translated it as curry).

What is the name of the yellow curry in Indonesia? ›

Indonesian curry characterised with yellow colour from turmeric and coconut milk. The most popular variants of gulai are gulai ayam, gulai kambing, and gulai otak. Chicken cooked in a spicy, rich, yellowish, curry-like sauce called gulai.

What is the difference between Gulai and curry? ›

Generally, both have very similar appearance. They are made with a variety of spices, they are relatively thick in texture and use coconut milk. However, the spices used for curry are usually in powder form while the spices for Indonesian Gulai are both in fresh and powder form.

What is Tanjung in English? ›

A tanjung is a cape, and it is an extremely common geographical name in the Malay world.

Is Gulai a curry? ›

Gulai is a typical Sumatran dish that is equally common in Malaysia. It is, in reality, a curry, which works nicely with poultry, meat, vegetables, and fish, as well as any thing with coconut milk.

What is ayam in Indonesia? ›

chicken. More meanings for ayam. chicken noun. daging ayam, pengecut, anak, unggas muda.

Is ayam penyet Indonesian food? ›

Ayam penyet, or literally 'smashed chicken' in English is a traditional Indonesian dish that originates from East Java.

What is the difference between chicken curry and curried chicken? ›

The terms "chicken curry" and "curry chicken" both refer to the same dish—cooked chicken with a sauce or gravy made with various spices and seasonings, typically including curry powder or a mix of spices.

Is rendang malaysian or indonesian? ›

Rendang is a popular dish made with meat stewed in coconut milk and spices. Believed to originate in West Sumatra, Indonesia, by the Minangkabau people, the dish is commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

What is the difference between Chinese curry chicken and Indian curry chicken? ›

The curry spices themselves can vary, although they have some usual suspects such as turmeric and cumin. Chinese curry is often a bit more watery in consistency than Indian curry. This is due to the fact that Indian curries often use tomatoes as natural thickeners while it's not the case with Chinese curries.

What is the difference between Indonesian and Thai curry? ›

So are they the same dish? No, they are not. Rendang curry contains beef, while massaman curry uses chicken. Massaman curry is easy to find anywhere in Thailand's traditional markets.

What is the difference between Thai curry and Indonesian curry? ›

Compared to Indonesian, Thai cuisine offers simpler flavors, showcases more clean, fresh herbs and flavors in heat levels, lighter curries, sweet salads and served from hot to cold – rarely room temperature. Prominent ingredients are fish sauce, coriander, lemon grass and coconut milk.

What is the difference between Indian curry and Indonesian curry? ›

And what is the different between Indian Curry and Indonesia Kari? Indonesia Kari isn't made with a pre-made spice mixture known as curry powder. Than Indonesia Kari who has fresh taste, Indian Curry has rich taste. This dish uses chili peppers, cardamom, cumin, coriander and other spices.

What is santanna in english? ›

It means “holy” or “saintly Anne” or “follower of Saint Anne,” the patron saint of unmarried women, housewives, grandmothers, and women in labor.

What is Kavala in English? ›

"Kavala" is also a word in the Tamil language, which means "throat." In the Sanskrit language, "Kavala" means "gargle" or "rinse," and it is often used in the context of oral hygiene practices.

What is halfia bian in english? ›

The Urdu Word حلفیہ بیان Meaning in English is Asseveration. The other similar words are Halfia Byaan. The synonyms of Asseveration include are Affirmation, Allegation, Averment, Claim, Contention, Declaration, Statement and Pronouncement.

What is La Fillette in English? ›

fillette (petite fille):

little girl.

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