Gulai Ayam Padang

I had the incredibly good fortune to conduct anthropological fieldwork in the village of Kamang Hilir in West Sumatra, Indonesia. My wife and I lived in West Sumatra for nearly three years, most of that time in Kamang. When we arrived in the village, one of the first families we got to know was (not surprisingly) our next-door neighbors, Pak Januar and Ibu Rosna. They had two children: Wir, who was 14 at the time, and his sister Tin, who was a few years older.

As anthropologists do, I chatted with them a great deal about their lives. Wir and Tin also had a dog and a cat. I asked whether their pets had names, and Tin said they did. But when I asked what their names were, Tin laughed and said, “I can’t tell you.” After some cajoling—and lots of laughter from both Wir and Tin—Tin finally said, “The dog is Bill and the cat is Hillary!”

I have an enormous number of wonderful memories of living in Kamang, one of them being how warm, friendly, caring, and wonderfully humorous the people are. It was a heady feeling to have an entire village looking out for us and generously helping us in a myriad of ways. When I think of West Sumatra, even after so many years, I feel taragak, a word that is inadequately translated as “homesick.”

Even though he was only 14 at the time, few people were as helpful to us in learning about village life and Minangkabau culture as Wir. Our debt to him is enormous. We are still in touch. He is married and has a family now. A month ago, I spoke with him via WeChat video. He gave me a tour of the village café he built and showed me his stand of fifty avocado trees.

Like nearly all Minangkabau men, when he married, he moved to his wife’s village. The Minangkabau hold the distinction of being the largest matrilineal society in the world. While men hold traditional offices, the consensual process of decision-making customarily includes all senior women in a lineage, and therefore, women typically hold considerable informal power. In the village of Kamang, our observations were that many, if not most, women didn't shy away from public discourse or exerting influence over public or family matters.

In Indonesia, the Minangkabau are most famous for their unique kinship system, but running a close second is their cuisine, which many (including myself) consider to be the best in the entire archipelago. They are particularly famed for their fiery dishes, although this recipe, despite the use of chilies, is typically milder. Gulai ayam is frequently served in Nasi Padang restaurants. These restaurants are a bit like dim sum: when diners sit down, an array of small plates is placed on the table, and people eat what they wish. At the end of the meal, the waiter (typically a young man) counts the empty plates and presents the bill.

Most of the ingredients for gulai ayam can be found locally (99 Ranch, Vietnamese markets). The most difficult item to locate may be kemiri (candlenuts), which are used to thicken the curry. I’ve read that macadamia nuts are the best substitute. Kaffir lime leaves can often be found at 99 Ranch, and nowadays, many supermarkets carry lemongrass.

Cook's Notes:
The spice paste needs to be ground either in a mortar and pestle, with a stand blender, or, as we did, with a hand blender (which worked great!). It should be a fine paste. As always, when buying coconut milk, it’s best to choose a brand that is pure coconut milk. Products that use guar gum, xanthan gum, or carrageenan as thickeners ironically don’t thicken properly when cooked. In this case, pure really is best. As the gulai cooks, it will lose moisture, so you may need to add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. It should end up slightly thinner than a gravy. Add salt and sugar to taste. Normally, there is just a hint of sweetness in gulai.

Main Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 10–12 pieces
4 cups coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised/crushed
2 turmeric leaves
Salt and sugar to taste

Spice Paste Ingredients:

8 shallots
5 cloves garlic
3 kimiri (candlenuts)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 inch piece of ginger
1 inch piece of galangal root
1 inch piece of turmeric root
10 large red chili peppers
5 red bird's eye chilies (Thai chilies)

Preparation:

Sauté the ground spices (spice paste) with the kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, lemongrass, and turmeric leaves until fragrant.
Add the chicken pieces and stir, turning them gently until they lose their raw color and are thoroughly coated with the spice paste.
Pour in the coconut milk, stirring gently, and cook over low heat to prevent the coconut milk from separating (curdling).
Add salt, sugar, and bouillon powder, then stir well.
Cook until the chicken is tender, the sauce has thickened, and the color turns an inviting golden yellow.

Serve hot with white rice.

Selamat Makan!

Recipe and Photos by Desni Erita (Pak Wir's wife)
Text by T. Johnston-O'Neill