Beef Rendang Recipe
Beef Rendang is a very aromatic caramelized beef curry. In Malaysia, it is traditionally prepared for festive and ceremonial occasions such as wedding feasts and Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr). Mom’s Beef Rendang is delicious but she rarely prepares it because beef is seldom served at home. As such, I often look forward to invitations from Malay friends so that I can savor this special dish. Fortunately, I can now make it in my own kitchen.
One important ingredient in rendang is kerisik (pounded toasted coconut). It helps thicken the sauce and provides flavor and texture to the dish. Kerisik can be made ahead of time. It will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer. Do check out this Kerisik video tutorial on how to make kerisik for your Beef Rendang.
Do not be deterred by the long list of ingredients and cooking time. I assure you it is totally worth the effort. Your kitchen will smell amazing and you will be rewarded with the most tender and delicious beef curry you have ever tasted.
Unless you grow your own turmeric, the leaves are almost impossible to find here. I must remind myself to grow some turmeric in a pot next spring so that I can have a few leaves for my rendang next summer. I had to leave it out this time. Please use it, if you have some on hand.
Beef Rendang
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 4 cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bottom third only, bruised
- 2¼ lbs (1 kg) chuck roast, cubed
- ¾ cup (180ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup (100g) fresh grated coconut
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 turmeric leaf, thinly sliced (optional)
- Spice Paste
- 3 red chilies, seeded, and cut into pieces
- 10 dried chilies, seeded, soaked in warm water, and drained
- 2 inch galangal, sliced
- 2 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
- 5 to 6 shallots, peeled and halved
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, and cut into quarters
- 3 candlenuts or macadamias
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground fennel
Instructions
Blend red chilies, dried chilies, galangal, ginger, shallots, garlic, and candlenuts in a blender with ¼ cup (60ml) water. Transfer to a bowl. Add ground coriander, cumin, and fennel. Mix into a paste.
Heat vegetable oil in a medium sized pot. Stir fry cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods, cloves, lemongrass, and spice paste over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add beef and give it a good stir to coat with spices. Then pour in ½ cup (120ml) water and coconut milk. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Do give it a stir occasionally.
In the meantime, toast (without oil) grated coconut in a frying pan, stirring constantly over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a mortar and pound toasted coconut into a paste to release the oil and fragrance. Set aside.
Add sugar, salt, kerisik (pounded toasted coconut), kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric leaf (if using). Continue to cook for 30 minutes until meat is very tender and only a little gravy remains.
Serve with roti jala, nasi briyani, or white basmati rice.
2.5
http://www.rotinrice.com/2014/07/beef-rendang/
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I made this Beef Rendang twice in a span of two weeks because the family enjoyed it so much. It was really delicious served with Roti Jala and Nasi Biryani. To cool things down a little, I also made some Cucumber, Tomato, and Boondi Raita as a side dish. Be sure to check back next week for my Nasi Biryani recipe.
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day!