This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
FREE EMAIL BONUS:
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.
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I found this recipe by chance when looking for something different to try cooking for Christmas dinner. There are a good number of Indonesians who live in my town in Taiwan, so it wasn’t difficult to get the ingredients at local markets here. I made it today (Merry Christmas!) and it’s wonderful; the combination of flavors is so delicious! I can only imagine how much better it would taste prepared by someone with experience, but for my first time it came out really tasty. Thanks for making this recipe available.
Thanks Stephen, thanks for trying this beef rendang recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Thanks a lot for recipe.
Thanks for trying my beef rendang recipe.
This is a beautiful and probably medicinal curry. I have taken a chili’s off to create a milder version. It is delicious, whilst cooking some cuts on my hand stung and then the harmonised into a wonderful chi feeling, a beautiful heat sensation. Thanks this will be cooked again!
Awesome Chris. This beef rendang is very yummy!
Everyone loved this dish and paired well with Acar Awak. Will do this again!
Richard
Awesome thanks for trying.
Hi,
This looks so good, After going through a bunch of rendang recipe’s on the net, I decided to make this one but I will be making 4 kgs of it.
would u say x4 of all the ingredients will get the same results? Also would x4 chilli be too much?
Yes might be too spicy, you can cut down to 3, or less than 3. :)
Thank you for the quick reply :)
After a visit to Malaysia (best food EVER!) and trying some of your other recipes, can’t wait to try this for my friend’s birthday cook off! Stupid questions: do you leave the cardamon pod whole or crush to use the tiny pods inside? And as I’m in the UK it’s hard to get hold of fresh coconut. Can dessicated/dried be used and toasted?
Whole. Yes, you can use dessicated coconut.
Thanks so much :)
Tried it tonight and followed the recipe. I just did not have that type of beef cut so had to replace it with flank steak. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! I will make it again and again because it was so easy too! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Rhian, thanks for trying my beef rendang recipe!
Making it over weekend for 3 friends. Think it’s gonna be great in my slow cooker!
Awesome!
Never had this dish so it was a bit challenging and I don’t know how authentic it tasted but it was OMG so good! The flavors are simply sensational! Thank you for the recipe, it is now in my home cook book ??
Hi Lara, this is a very authentic recipe I am very glad you tried my beef rendang.
Have used ginger instead of galangal …. tastes just great ?
Ginger tastes god in the Rendag, but galangal is a homeopathic medicine as well, and has a different effect than ginger.
Very nice. Love it.
Hi there can i replace tamarind with anything else?
No.
I’m planning on cooking this recipe next weekend. My question is can this recipe be adapted for slow cooker easily?
Yes you can make beef rendang in a slow cooker.
I very love rendang, and hoping world know how delicius this food.
rendang is the delicius food in the world,
hip hip horay hip hip horay
great to know rendang as most delicius food in the world by CNN version. And i can find the recepies here.. thanks you darling
Prepped this tonight along with your chicken satay and peanut sauce to cook tomorrow for date night. Used tamarind paste, slightly worried it may not work out great because of that but will see tomorrow :)
Good luck, let me know how it goes with your beef rendang.
Hi Mark, how’d you go using the paste as opposed to soaking puree? I am curious myself, as it’s a lot of effort if this is mistake..?
I use a teaspoon of tamarind paste and a teaspoon of powdered galangal in this recipe, and after preparing the curry sauce, I slow cook beef cheeks. Then I pull the beef, reduce the sauce, and then mix with the beef, and bake to “dry” it out – delicious!
Hi Tim, sounds very yummy!
What kind of Chili’s did you use?
Dried chili.