Gulai Kambing Aceh (Aceh Goat Curry)

This Gulai kambing or Gulee Kameng in Aceh Dialect has some different names such as Gulee Sie Kameng, Kari Kameng, Kari Sie Kameng, and Kuah Sie Kameng. Basically Gulee is what Indonesians call for Gulai; Sie is Daging or Meat; Kameng is Kambing or Goat while Kari is another different called for gulai or curry.  Kuah is an Indonesian term for any soup base dish. To make this tasty gulee kameng, you will need toasted shredded coconut or known as u neu lheu in Aceh local dialect or kelapa sangrai/gongseng in Indonesian or kerisik in Malay. 

There is another different between this Aceh gulai or curry with other Indonesian gulais or curries, the use of dried chilies instead of fresh chilies. Capli kleng (cabai kering) is the name for dried chilies in Aceh. You can always substitute the dried chilies with chili or red pepper powder. In this case I used crushed Korean red pepper. I also charred or broiled some spices to strengthen the aroma.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram goat meat with bones or boneless, drizzle over key lime, rub all over and set aside
• 3-4 tablespoons crushed Korean red pepper, mix with a small amount of warm water
• 4 shallots (8 pieces if you use smaller size), thinly sliced
• 2 stems curry leaves
• 2 star anises
• 4 centimeter cinnamon bark, toasted or broiled
• 4 cloves, toasted or broiled
• 2 green cardamom, bruised and toasted or broiled
• 4 lemongrass, take the white part and bruise
• 600 ml coconut milk
• some of extra virgin coconut oil or vegetable oil

Spices For a Wet Paste:

• 6 tablespoons toasted shredded coconut
• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 Bengali red peppers (this Bengali red pepper is way hotter than long red cayenne pepper or cabai merah keriting)
• 2 tablespoons corriander seed, toasted
• 2 teaspoons white peppercorn, toasted
• 1 nutmeg
• 5 centimeter ginger, toasted and peeled
• 5 centimeter turmeric root, toasted and peeled
• 3 centimeter galangal, toasted
• 4 candlenuts
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel, toasted
• 1 tablespoon white poppy seed (kas-kas), toasted
• seasalt as desired

Directions:

1. You don’t need to toast one by one. For the ingredients that you need for grinding, you can toast them together.
2. Grind all spices for wet paste until smooth. Use a food processor if you want to get a faster result but I prefer using the traditional Indonesian mortar and pestle.
3. Rub all wet paste over the goat meat. Marinate for more than 15 minutes. I myself kept them overnight in the fridge.
4. In a wok, dutch oven or pot, heat up your cooking oil. Stir fry slices of shallot until fragrant. Add curry leaves and red pepper powder mixture; stir. Toast in marinated goat, cinnamon bark, star anise, cloves, cardamom and lemongrass. Reduce the heat to medium cover the wok and cook until the goat meat changes colour.
5. Pour in coconut milk and season with seasalt; stir and let it cook until the liquid is thicken and oily. Taste. If you feel not enough salt, you can add more.
6. Remove from the heat and enjoy with steamed rice.