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5 Secrets to 20 Minute Dinners!
Tips, tricks, and recipes for dinner in a hurry!
What Is Rendang?
Rendang is a rich and tender coconut beef stew which is explosively flavorful. It’s a celebrated Indonesian recipe. Called “rendang daging” in local Indonesian and Malaysia language, it’s arguably the most famous beef recipe in Indonesia, Malaysia and to a lesser extent, Singapore.
Other that that, it’s also the #1 dish on “World’s 50 Best Foods” compiled by CNN. As the world discovers it, there has been much controversies and ignorance on the recipe and cooking methods, as more chefs learn to cook this dish.
In 2018, a Masterchef UK judge criticized that rendang is not crispy. His comment drew massive uproars on the social media and online.
Ultimately, the protein used in the recipe is never deep-fried, but simmered and then stewed for hours with spices and coconut milk. The end result is a rich, tender and deeply flavorful meat stew.
Origins of Rendang
Beef rendang is of Indonesian origin, a delicious concoction from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia.
It’s often served at ceremonial occasions and to honor guests.
I believe the dish came to Malaysia when the Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra migrated to the southern part of the Malay peninsula during the era of the Melaka Sultanate.
This dish is well loved by many Malaysians, especially the Malay community.
Ingredients
The core of beef rendang is the spice paste, as well as the various aromatic spices (cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves and star anise) used in the recipe.
The spice paste consists of the following main ingredients:
- Shallots
- Galangal – if you cannot find galangal, skip it altogether
- Lemongrass
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Dried red chilies
Recipe Variations
While beef rendang is the poster child, there are variations such as chicken rendang and lamb rendang. Chicken rendang is often used as a filling in baked buns, and they are a favorite for the locals.
For vegans and vegetarians , you can certainly use fried tofu or tempeh. For seafood lovers, rendang prawn (shrimp) is a good option.
Regardless of which protein you use, rendang is absolutely delicious and best with steamed rice, for example: nasi lemak.
What Kind of Beef for Rendang?
I used boneless beef short ribs or stew beef. The cut of beef will ensure that you have soft and tender beef once it’s cooked.
You have to cut the beef into small pieces to ensure that after the slow cooking, each chunk of beef is tender with the aromatic rendang curry paste.
Secret Ingredient of Rendang Paste
To make the best rendang, you need to have the secret ingredient: kerisik or toasted coconut. Many traditional Indonesian and Malaysian recipes call for kerisik. The golden-toasted shredded coconut adds immense aromas, earth nuance and vibrant textures to the finished dish.
Another tip is to slow cook the meat on low heat; slowly stew and simmer the beef and reduce the liquid during the cooking process.
The Best and Most Authentic Rendang
The best and most authentic meat rendang should be somewhat dry (as pictured here). The meat should be generously coated with the rendang paste. Please take note that this is not a curry, the dish should never be watery.
I suggest that you make a big serving (you may double or triple my recipe) so you have some leftovers. The flavors and aroma become more intense the next day. The Minangkabau save the dish for months as the complex taste and flavor develop over time.
Do try my recipe because it’s the most delicious and best beef rendang recipe you will find online!
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 416 calories per serving.
What to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve this dish with rice, noodles or bread. For a traditional Malaysian meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Beef Rendang (The Best!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into cubes
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 stick cinnamon (about 2-inch length)
- 3 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
- 1 cup thick coconut milk (coconut cream)
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
- 6 tablespoons kerisik (toasted coconut)
- 1 tablespoon sugar or palm sugar to taste
- salt to taste
Spice Paste:
- 5 shallots
- 1 inch galangal
- 3 lemongrass (white part only)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)
Instructions
- Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
- Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
- Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Made a similar version of this recipe last year after researching about 25 different versions,and it was the BEST thing I’ve ever made. My dinner guests talked about it all year long!
This year I made it with lamb and let me tell you, it was even better. Something about a good quality lamb shoulder combined with these spices and aromatics, simmered for over 2.5 hours just made for one of the best dishes known to man kind. Add a couple table spoons of fish sauce. It gives it a really nice subtle ‘umami’ note that blends really well with the other notes in the dish. One of my foodie guests said it was ‘the best thing I ever put in my mouth.’ Now that’s a compliment.
Wow Mark, that’s awesome I am so happy that my recipe is so good that your guests were so impressed. Tell them to visit my site every day! :) LOL.
Best ever beef
Just wanted to correct you on the history of this dish! Actually the rendang is a staple Malay dish long before the Malaccan sultanate. That is because long before white colonialists (Portuegese/ Dutch/ English) dictated the borders of Indonesia and Malaysia as it is now – a whole lot of what is now Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia (among others) are considered one region (the Nusantara) which covers a large diaspora of the Malay people (Minangkabau, Batak, Jawa, Bugis, Daik etc) with similar culture and cuisines. Which is why Indonesia have a LOT of similarities with Malaysia when it comes to food because of this shared history.
If you check out the cuisines of the native Melanaus in Sarawak – they too share stark similarities to some Filipino cuisines.
Modern geopolitics have separated this large Nusantara region in several different nations – but before that it is like one huge country (albeit with different empires, but with similar diaspora of people).
Thanks for the information. :)
Why did you remove the Indonesian tag from the recipe? There’s a reason why Rendang, Chicken Satay (Sate Ayam), and Soto Ayam is listed on CNN as Indonesian and not Malaysian nor Singapore. Just because our mom made us Egg Foo Yung since we’re kids doesn’t necessarily mean that Egg foo yung is Indonesian.
Blue, the recipe is clearly marked as Indonesian recipes category at the top of the page below the title. If you did read the article, I clearly stated that this is an Indonesian recipe that was introduced to Malaysia. I made the Malaysian version of rendang and also marked it as Malaysian recipe.
Hi, good day I just want to know if i could used dry galangal we are in the Caribbean Island, I saw most of the galangal dried slice or in powdered form.thanks , Miss Rasa Malaysia
You can try. :)
Hi, I just thought you might want to know that goodfood.com.au has used your beef rendang photo for their recipe but said the photo is from Rick Stein (a chef in australia)?
http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/recipe/beef-rendang-20111019-29uab.html
Hi Karie, argh, thanks for letting me know.
Rick stein is a very famous chef/ tv presenter in the UK, has made many international programmes
Hi there… love your recipes and really love/miss proper rendang with the toasted coconut. I would love to make this but I can’t get freshly grated coconut where I am (Dublin). Can I substitute with desiccated coconut? Thanks in advance for any advice/tips!
Yes you can.
Thanks for the reply! Delighted!!
Hi may I knw this recipe serve for how many paxs? I am planning to cook for 20paxs… Thank you…
3-4 people with rice.
May I ask why coriander is not included in the ingredients. I thought all curry recipes should include at least some coriander and cumin.
Hi Bee,
I would like to ask….are we using the whole green or black cardamon pods which sold by Indian groceries??? Hear from you very soon coz I’m going to make this dish this Friday…thank you ;)