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Kuah beulangong
Goat and young jackfruit curry
Acehnese goat and young jackfruit curry from the village cauldron
In Aceh, the days of Meugang before Ramadan and Idul Adha are marked by men cooking kuah beulangong in huge cauldrons (beulangong) in the village square, so that every household, rich or poor, eats meat at the feast. Goat or beef is cooked with young jackfruit in a dark, nutty curry thickened with roasted coconut paste (u neulheu) and plenty of chilli and spice. This version scales the cauldron down to a family pot. Chef's tip: roast the coconut slowly until it is the colour of dark chocolate, because the deep toasted flavour is what makes this curry Acehnese.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 ⅝ lb bone-in goat or beefcut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 ⅛ lb young green jackfruitcut into chunks, from a can or fresh
For the roasted coconut paste
- 5 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or desiccated
For the spice paste
- 10 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 10 dried red chilliessoaked
- 1 ⅝ in fresh ginger
- 1 ⅝ in fresh turmeric
- 1 ⅝ in galangal
- 1 tbsp coriander seedstoasted
- 1 tsp cumin seedstoasted
- 1 tsp fennel seedstoasted
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
For the curry
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 stalks lemongrassbruised
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 2 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 5 ½ oz grated coconut in a wok over a low heat, stirring all the time, for 15 minutes until it is deep brown and smells nutty. Pound or blend it while warm until it turns oily and paste-like.
15 minStep 2: Blend 10 shallots, 6 cloves garlic, 10 dried red chillies, 5 red bird's-eye chillies, 1 ⅝ in fresh ginger, 1 ⅝ in fresh turmeric, 1 ⅝ in galangal, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 5 candlenuts or macadamias to a smooth paste with a little water.
10 minStep 3: Blanch 2 ⅝ lb bone-in goat or beef in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse.
10 minStep 4: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot and fry the spice paste with 3 stalks lemongrass, 6 kaffir lime leaves, 2 sprigs curry leaves, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cardamom pods for 10 minutes until dark red and the oil separates.
10 minStep 5: Add the meat, the coconut paste and 1 tbsp tamarind paste and stir for 5 minutes until coated.
5 minStep 6: Pour in 6 ¼ cups water with 2 ½ tsp salt and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
100 minStep 7: Add 1 ⅛ lb young green jackfruit and simmer 30–40 minutes more until the meat is very tender, the jackfruit soft and the gravy thick and brown. A common mistake is adding the jackfruit at the start, which turns it to mush. Taste for salt and serve with rice.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuah beulangong take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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