''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry,

goat meat Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...

, beef,

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

, various kinds of

offal Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes muscle. Offal may also refe ...

, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables such as

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

leaves, unripe

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

and banana stem. ''Gulai'' is often described as Indonesian

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

, 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).

Ingredients

The ''gulai'' sauces commonly have a thick consistency with a yellowish colour because of the addition of ground

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

. Gulai sauce ingredients consist of rich spices such as turmeric, coriander,

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

galangal Galangal () is a common name for several tropical rhizomatous spices. Differentiation The word ''galangal'', or its variant ''galanga'' or archaically ''galingale'', can refer in common usage to the aromatic rhizome of any of four plant spec ...

, ginger,

chilli pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...

shallot The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...

, garlic,

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

, cinnamon and

caraway Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...

, ground into paste and cooked in coconut milk with the main ingredients. In Malaysia,

kerisik Kerisik, nyo gule (Terengganu), nyo gulo (Kelantan), mumbu or mumbu masak (Sarawak) is used in Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean cooking. Coconut is grated, toasted, then ground to a paste. It is sometimes referred to as coconut butter. It ...

is also added to thicken the gravy. Gulai recipes and ingredients are slightly different across the archipelago. For example the colour of ''gulai'' in Java is mostly light yellow, while in Sumatra, it has a more reddish tone. In Palembang, the ''gulai'' composes of ingredients such as garlic, shallot, turmeric, turmeric leaf, and pineapple. In Minangkabau lands of West Sumatra, the ''ruku-ruku'' leaf (''

Ocimum tenuiflorum ''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...

'') is a must-use ingredient, while in its Javanese counterpart, the corriander is favoured. Another difference is that

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae ...

is often added in Javanese ''gulai'' called ''gule'', giving it a slightly sourer taste than other versions of ''gulai''.

History

''Gulai'' originated on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia and is thought to be a local adaptation of Indian curry, having developed and derived from Indian influence on Southeast Asia. The dish is widely served in the Malay Archipelago, especially in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula,

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

and

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

. The thick and yellowish ''gulai'' sauce is one of the most common sauces found in

Minangkabau cuisine Padang food or Minang food is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as ''Masakan Padang'' (Padang cuisine, in English usu ...

, used to give a rich and spicy taste to meats, fish, and vegetables. ''Gulai'' is often described as succulent and spicy, yet subtly combining flavours of different spices into one suave and smooth taste which makes it difficult to figure out the individual spices used. The ingredients are simmered and slowly cooked in coconut milk, a mixture of spices and

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

. The thick golden, yellowish, succulent and spicy ''gulai'' sauce has become a hallmark that can be seen on window displays of restaurant establishments in

Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...

, Indonesia. In Padang, smart cooking means being capable of preparing ''gulai''. ''

Rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

'' (beef simmered in coconut milk and spices), '' asam padeh'' (sour and spicy stew) and '' kalio'' (watery and light-coloured gravy) are often considered as variations of Padang ''gulai''. In Malaysia, ''

asam pedas Asam pedas ( Minangkabau: ''asam padeh''; "sour and spicy") is a Maritime Southeast Asian sour and spicy fish stew dish. Asam pedas is believed to come from Minangkabau cuisine of West Sumatra, Indonesia and has spread throughout to the islands o ...

'', a popular Malay sour fish soup is sometimes called ''gulai tumis''. In the states of Perak and

Pahang Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...

, ''gulai

tempoyak Tempoyak ( Jawi: تمڤويق), asam durian or pekasam is a Malay condiment made from fermented durian. It is usually consumed by the ethnic Malays in Maritime Southeast Asia, notably in Indonesia and Malaysia. Tempoyak is made by taking the fl ...

'', a local specialty is commonly served as a daily meal and a meal for festive celebrations such as

Hari Raya , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , date ...

and wedding ceremonies.https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82136975.pdf Negeri Sembilan is well known nationwide for its spicy dishes. ''Masak lemak cili api'', a type of ''gulai'' made with coconut milk spiced with turmeric and

bird's eye chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili (Thai: ''prik ki nu'', พริกขี้หนู, literally "mouse dung chili" owing to its shape) is a chili pepper, a variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southea ...

, is described as the hallmark of Negeri Sembilanese cuisine. In some restaurants, ''

roti canai Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thai ...

'' (which is usually served with curry) might also be served with ''gulai''. The ''gulai'' sauce found in Minangkabau, Acehnese, and

Malay cuisine Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia (parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan), Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines (mostly southern) as well as ...

usually has a thicker consistency than the ''gulai'' sauce found in

which is thinner, served in soup-like dishes containing pieces of mutton, beef or offal. ''Gulai'' is usually served with

steamed rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Asian rice (both Indica and Japonica varieties), African rice or wild rice, glutinous ...

Variations

''Gulai'' recipes can be found in various cooking traditions across the

Indonesian Archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...

; such as Minangkabau, Malay, Acehnese and Javanese cuisine. However, ''gulai'' recipes show exceptional diversity in West Sumatra. Some variations of ''gulai'' include: Poultry * ''Gulai ayam'' (chicken gulai) * ''Gulai itik'' (duck gulai) * ''Gulai telur'' (hard boiled

chicken egg Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especia ...

gulai) * ''Gulai telur itik'' (duck egg gulai), a specialty of Negeri Sembilan Meat * ''Gulai kambing'' (mutton gulai) * ''Gulai sapi'' (beef gulai) Insect * ''Gulai belalang padi'' (grasshopper gulai), a specialty of Negeri Sembilan. Offal * ''Gulai hati'' (cattle

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

gulai) * ''Gulai limpa'' (cattle

spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

gulai) * ''Gulai gajeboh'' (cattle hump fat gulai) * ''Gulai iso'' or ''gulai usus'' (cattle intestine gulai) * ''Gulai babat'' (

tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...

gulai) * ''Gulai tembusu'' or ''tambunsu'' (intestine gulai filled with egg) * ''Gulai tunjang'' or ''kikil'' (cattle foot

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

, skin and cartilage) * ''Gulai otak'' (cattle brain gulai) * ''Gulai sumsum'' (cattle marrow gulai) * ''Gulai hati'' ampela (chicken gizzard, liver, and intestine gulai) Fish and sea food * ''Gulai ikan mas'' ( carp gulai) * ''Gulai ikan patin'' (

pangasius ''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''. T ...

gulai) * ''Gulai ikan kakap'' (

red snapper Red snapper is a common name of several fish species. It may refer to: * Several species from the genus ''Lutjanus'': ** ''Lutjanus campechanus'', Northern red snapper, commonly referred to as red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlanti ...

gulai) * ''Gulai kepala ikan kakap'' (red snapper's head gulai) * ''Gulai telur ikan'' (

roe Roe ( ) or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked in ...

gulai) * ''Gulai ketam'', ''gulai kepiting'' or ''gulai rajungan'' (crab) * ''Gulai cumi'' or ''gulai sotong'' (cuttle fish/squid) * ''Gulai udang'' (shrimp) * ''Gulai tulang ikan'' * ''Gulai tumis'' Vegetable * ''Gulai batang pisang'' (Banana stem gulai), a specialty of

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainland ...

* ''Gulai cubadak'' or ''gulai nangka muda'' (unripe

gulai) * ''Gulai daun pakis'' (

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

leaf gulai) * ''Gulai daun singkong'' (

leaf gulai) * ''Gulai kacang panjang'' (common beans gulai) * ''Gulai jariang'' or ''gulai jengkol'' ('' Archidendron pauciflorum'' gulai) * ''Gulai pisang muda'' (Young banana gulai), a specialty of Negeri Sembilan * ''Gulai rebung'' (

bamboo shoot Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including ''Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and ...

gulai) * ''Gulai sukun'' ( breadfruit gulai) * ''Gulai tahu'' (

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...

gulai) * ''Gulai tempe'' (

tempeh Tempeh or tempe (; jv, ꦠꦺꦩ꧀ꦥꦺ, témpé, ) is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. A fungus, '' Rhiz ...

gulai)

Gallery

File:Gulai kambing masakan Padang.JPG, ''Gulai kambing'', goat gulai, a Padang food File:Gulai cancang 2.jpg, ''Gulai cancang'', chopped meat gulai, a Padang food File:Gulai tambunsu3.jpg, ''Gulai tambunsu'', intestine gulai sold in Bukittinggi File:Gulai Otak.jpg, ''Gulai banak'' or ''gulai otak'', brain gulai, a nasi kapau dish File:Gulai Limpo.jpg, ''Gulai limpo'', cow's spleen gulai, a Minangkabau dish File:Gulai gajebo.jpg, ''Gulai gajeboh'', cow's hump fat gulai, specialty of Kapau, West Sumatra File:Gulai tunjang 1.jpg, ''Gulai tunjang'',

cow's trotters Cow's trotters are the feet of cattle. The cuts are used in various dishes around the world, especially in Asian, African, French, and the Caribbean cuisine. Latin American cuisine also uses cow's trotters for several traditional dishes. Oth ...

gulai, sold in Bukittinggi File:Gulai babat.JPG, ''Gulai babat'', tripes gulai, a Padang food File:Gulai kerapu.JPG, ''Gulai kerapu'',

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

gulai, a Padang Pariaman food File:Gulai kapalo lauak.jpg, ''Gulai kapalo lauak'', fish head gulai, a Minang dish File:Gulai kepala ikan khas aceh.jpg, ''Gulai kepala ikan'', fish head gulai, an Aceh version File:Gulai sotong isi telur restoran Padang.JPG, ''Gulai sotong'', squid gulai File:Gulai udang 2.jpg, ''Gulai udang'', shrimp gulai, a Padang dish File:Gulai Ayam.jpg, ''Gulai ayam'', this one is a Javanese version chicken gulai File:Gulai cubadak (gulai nangka).JPG, ''Gulai cubadak'', unripe jackfruit gulai File:Gulai jariang.jpg, ''Gulai jariang'', jengkol gulai, a Padang food File:Gulai tempe dan tahu3.jpg, ''Gulai tempe jo tahu'',

and

gulai File:Gulai sukun2.jpg, ''Gulai sukun'', breadfruit gulai File:Sate-gule-kambing al maarif.jpg, ''Gule kambing'',

Javanese gulai, It is served with goat satay

References

External links