Malaysian Beef Rendang
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Tender caramelized beef braised in a phenomenal flavorful & aromatic mix of spices & coconut milk. It's layer upon layer of deliciousness.
Author: AiPing | Curious Nut
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Malaysian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1½ - 2" cubes
- Spice Paste
- 12 dried cayenne chilis, deseeded, soaked in hot water and drained before blending
- 12 shallots (small, short variety), peeled
- 2½" galangal (blue ginger root), peeled
- 1½" ginger
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 lemon grass, white parts only, sliced (reserve the rest for below)
- 5 candlenuts (or macadamia nuts)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric (or 1" fresh turmeric root)
- ¼ cup oil
- 8 kaffir/wild lime leaves, bruised
- Lemongrass (from spice paste), cut to 4" length and bruised
- 1 can 13.5 oz thick coconut milk
- 3 tbs tamarind pulp
- ¾ - 1 cup water or more enough to almost cover the meat
- 1 tbs coconut or brown sugar
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ cup dried grated coconut, toasted on a pan until light brown and pounded or blitz in food processor until wet powdery or paste-like
- Spices
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbs ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- ½ tsp ground cumin
Directions
- Sear the beef on all sides. Set aside.
- Add the ingredients for spice paste in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Over medium fire, pour the paste into a wide shallow pan (eg. 12") and fry for 10 minutes until fragrant. The paste will turn a darker color. Add water or oil 1 tablespoon at a time if the paste is getting too dry. You don't want to burn the paste. Lower the fire slightly if needed.
- Increase the fire to medium high, add the kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, spices, and seared beef. Fry for a couple minutes. The beef will start to absorb all the flavor.
- Add the coconut milk and tamarind pulp. Stir a little and then add the water. Bring it to a boil. At this point, the rendang doesn't look like what it's supposed to at all. Give it 2 hours and its dramatic transformation will occur. Brace yourself.
- Once boiled, add the sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 2 hours. Skim half or all of the oil if you want to.
- Uncover, turn the heat to medium low and continue to simmer until rendang is as dry or wet as you want it to. Depending on how much liquid there is, I usually simmer another 30 minutes more. Stir every once in a while to prevent burning.
- Add the toasted grated coconut paste 10 minutes after simmering uncovered. Once the sauce is to your liking, taste and add more salt or sugar if necessary.
- Serve with steamed rice, coconut rice, naan or roti. Best if eaten the next day for greater depth in flavor.
Notes
1. Chilies: This recipe is moderately spicy. Increase to 15 pieces of cayenne chilies if you like it spicier, decrease to 8 pieces if you want it mild. Dry cayenne chilies are spicy. If you use a milder type of dry chili, you'll have to double or maybe even triple the amount in this recipe. To give you an idea, cayenne's spiciness scale is 30k - 50k while Jalapeno or Fresno is only 3k - 10k. Serrano or Holland chilies are about 10k - 20k while Thai bird's eye chilies are 100k.
2. Shallots (short, pink type), galangal (or blue ginger root), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric can be found in most Asian markets (especially Thai markets in this case). Grated coconut can be found in the frozen section of Asian markets. I buy mine from the 'bulk section' of whole foods.
3. Tamarind pulp is used to cut some of the richness of the coconut milk without it being sour.
4. I buy my spices from Mountain Rose Herbs because I can easily buy most of them under one roof - cayenne chilies, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and ground fennel.
5. Beef not your thing? Make chicken rendang using the same base. The only difference is the 'simmering portion'. Add enough water to cover ¾ of the chicken. Simmer covered for 60 minutes and then uncover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes or until desired sauce thickness/dryness.
2. Shallots (short, pink type), galangal (or blue ginger root), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric can be found in most Asian markets (especially Thai markets in this case). Grated coconut can be found in the frozen section of Asian markets. I buy mine from the 'bulk section' of whole foods.
3. Tamarind pulp is used to cut some of the richness of the coconut milk without it being sour.
4. I buy my spices from Mountain Rose Herbs because I can easily buy most of them under one roof - cayenne chilies, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and ground fennel.
5. Beef not your thing? Make chicken rendang using the same base. The only difference is the 'simmering portion'. Add enough water to cover ¾ of the chicken. Simmer covered for 60 minutes and then uncover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes or until desired sauce thickness/dryness.
Recipe by Curious Nut at https://www.curiousnut.com/beef-rendang/