In this gulai kentang, potatoes cook in a fragrant coconut sauce with ginger, turmeric, chili and lemongrass. Serve the curry with white rice; the potatoes soak up the spiced sauce and stay firm if you let them simmer gently.
Gulai is a broad style of Indonesian curry, not a recipe with one fixed list of spices. The ingredients and consistency vary from region to region and from household to household; coconut milk is used in many versions, but it isn’t the only possible base. This gulai has a mild, creamy sauce with warmth from ginger and chili, earthy turmeric and the fresh, lemony aroma of lemongrass. Potatoes make it a filling main dish and work well with the sauce because the pieces absorb its flavor as they simmer.
Frying the spice paste first is important for the flavor. Raw, ground shallot, garlic, ginger and spices can taste sharp and a little flat. So give the paste a few minutes in hot oil, stirring regularly, until it smells fragrant and darkens slightly. Then let the coconut milk simmer gently, rather than boiling vigorously: this gives the sauce time to thicken without becoming unsettled. Bruise the lemongrass stalk with the back of a knife to help release its aroma, and remove it from the pan before serving.
Choose waxy potatoes and cut them into pieces of about three centimeters. This size cooks fairly evenly and helps keep the outside from falling apart while the centers are still firm. Stir gently as they simmer, especially toward the end, and check with the tip of a knife. If you only have floury potatoes, cut them a little larger and start checking after about fifteen minutes. For more heat, use an extra red chili; remove the seeds for a milder curry. Ground turmeric is practical here, but fresh turmeric also works: grate it finely and wear gloves to help prevent staining your fingers.
The rice is a simple counterpoint to the rich sauce. Rinse the grains until the water is less cloudy and cook them according to the package directions; this helps prevent the rice from turning stickier than intended. Spoon the curry alongside or over the rice, making sure some sauce makes it onto the plate. A little lime juice at the table can brighten the creaminess, but it isn’t needed to make the dish complete.
Once cooled, store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat them within two days. Reheat the curry in a pan over low heat until piping hot throughout; add a splash of water if the sauce has become very thick after chilling. Stir gently to keep the potatoes intact. You can reheat the rice separately, making sure to heat it thoroughly as well.
Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water is less cloudy. Cook the rice according to the package directions and keep covered and warm.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces of about 3 cm. Peel the shallots and garlic. Peel the ginger. Grind or finely chop the shallot, garlic, ginger and chili into a paste.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the paste, turmeric and ground coriander and fry, stirring, for 4–5 minutes, until the paste smells fragrant and darkens slightly.
Bruise the lemongrass stalk with the back of a knife and add it to the pan. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Add the sugar and salt, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes and bring the sauce almost to a boil. Turn the heat to low, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes. Stir gently from time to time and check that the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape.
Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Remove the lemongrass stalk. Serve the gulai with the rice.
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