Tadi pagi sarapan di Toko Kopi (toko tapi warung…) ‘Sari Rasa’ di Jl. Hayam Wuruk, dekat simpang Jelutung, Jambi. Kopi jambi panas, susu kedelai hangat, nasi gemuk komplit (sudah gemuk, komplit lagi…). Ini tempat sarapan yang selalu ramai setiap pagi.

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Malamnya makan di pasar ‘Mayangsari’ (entah kenapa namanya demikian), di Jl. Mr. Assa’at. Pilih menu kari kambing, daging tunjang. Ada juga udang galah goreng. Umumnya disediakan masakan menu Padang.

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Tidak ada ‘Tambal Ban’ di Jambi, adanya ‘Tempel Ban’. Tadinya saya pikir salah tulis atau tulisan iseng. Rupanya memang begitu istilah yang berlaku umum di Jambi dan beberapa kawasan di Sumatera.

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Banyak BH betebaran di Jambi (BH adalah plat nomor polisi Jambi, seperti halnya BG untuk wilayah Sumsel, BE untuk Lampung, BD untuk Bengkulu, BM untuk Riau, dsb.)

Jambi, 19 Juni 2009
Yusuf Iskandar

MUTTON CURRY (Kari Kambing)

Ingredients:

300g mutton – shin, ribs or even meaty bones
5cm ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 onion – sliced lengthwise
2 sprigs curry leaves
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 stick of cinnamon
3 cardamoms
2 star anise
3 cloves
3 tablespoons meat curry powder
1 tablespoon kurma powder
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 potatoes 5“ cut into desired sizes
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 red chillies 5“ halved
Salt to taste
A few sprigs coriander leaves cut into 2cm lengths
A slice of lime

Method:

Cut the meat into bite pieces. Pound the ginger and garlic together until fine.

In a pot, heat up the cooking oil, then put in the onions, curry leaves and the pounded ginger and garlic along with the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamoms.

When aromatic, add the curry powder, kurma powder and white pepper powder.

Add a little water and fry the concoction until oil surfaces.

Add the meat and mix it with the paste thoroughly.

When oil surfaces again, add the coconut milk and water and let the curry come to a boil. Lower the flame and let the curry simmer until the meat is tender.

Stir the curry to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. When the meat is tender, add the potatoes, cover the pot and let it simmer until the potatoes are soft.

Let the curry thicken a little before adding the tomatoes, chillies and coriander leaves. Turn off the fire and sprinkle the lime juice over the curry and mix well.

Let the curry stand for at least an hour for the flavour to develop before serving.

Note: thick mutton curry goes well with the Indian staples of rice, puttu mayam, thosai, idli and appam.