This intensely flavourful Indonesian Beef Rendang has it all and then some. Meltingly tender beef sits in a thick coconut sauce. It’s the essence of South East Asia – a masterclass in packing in as much flavour as is humanly possible!
Add all the paste ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend into paste. Set aside.
To make the spice mix
In a dry frying pan toast the spices over a medium heat until they start to pop around the pan a little. Tip into a spice grinder or pestle & mortar and blend into a fine powder.
Combine the powder with the spice paste and set aside.
To make the curry
Heat the oil in a large pan until just hot. Add the cardamom, the leftover parts of the lemongrass stalks, and kaffir lime leaves and let them sizzle for 10 seconds before adding the spice paste.
Fry the paste for 3-4 minutes to cook out the raw ingredients a little.
Add the beef and stir to coat everything. Now, pour in the coconut milk along with 2 canfulls of water. Season with the salt and sugar.
Stir well and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer (covered) for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, In a dry pan - toast the coconut until it's lightly golden - set aside.
After 1 hour of cooking, add 3/4 of the toasted coconut and stir well. Let This simmer for 1½-2 hours until the curry is thick and creamy. Turn up the heat a little and let the curry reduce until it is very thick and clings to the meat. The sauce will all but evaporate and turn a dark brown colour.
Remove from the heat and serve hot, sprinkled with the remaining toasted coconut.
Notes
ServingI like to serve mine with plain or coconut jasmine rice and some crunchy, fresh salad vegetables. You can also serve with sticky rice or crisp, flaky paratha bread.Wet vs dry sauce?Kalio (wet) or Rendang (dry) are two variations on the sauce. A wet sauce will be a golden brown color and thick and creamy. It's fine to serve this way and has a tonne of flavour. Rendang is the stage where the sauce all but evaporates and the oil separates. This created the most intense flavour and an authentic rendang. Storing & reheating.Rendang will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Kalio (see above) will stay fresh for up to 1 week in the fridge. Both wet and dry versions will freeze for 3+ months.If you're freezing rendang (dry) then add 1/4 cup water on each portion before freezing. This will avoid the meat drying out during reheating. Reheat in a microwave from frozen for 4-8 minutes.