Beef Rendang with Turmeric rice

Product code: BR

Ahh Rendang, a typical Malaysian favorite! Rendang if you are not familiar with it is beef slow cooked in coconut milk and spices. Right at the end of the cooking we add ‘kerisik’ which is toasted coconut to give it a richer texture and to thicken the sauce. It is a dry curry and traditionally served with ‘lemang’ a sticky rice cooked on charcoal in a bamboo. You can still find ‘lemang’ sold on the roadside nowadays in Malaysia. I find ‘lemang’ too rich paired with the already rich Rendang so I am serving this with turmeric rice instead. There are many variations of Rendang and this is my version. Please feel free to adapt it and remember that cooking is about creativity and personal preferance.

Serves: 4 - 6
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Effort: Medium

For the beef

  • 1kg beef shin, cut into cubes, roughly 4cm, you can also use skirt
  • 60g dessicated coconut
  • 1 lemongrass, cut into half and bashed
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 250ml water
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 5 tbs oil

For the paste

  • 15 dry chillies
  • 6 baby shallots, mine was the size of golf balls. Use 8 if smaller
  • 30g ginger
  • 30g galangal (if you can’t find any, add 20g more ginger)
  • 3 lemongrass (use the bottom part where it is less fibrous, discard the top 2 inches and peel off the 1st layer)

For the seasoning

  • 1 ½ tbs chicken stock powder
  • 2 tbs tamarind paste
  • 1tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the rice

  • 325g jasmine rice
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves (optional)
  • 1 tsp chicken stock powder
  • 450ml water
  1. Make the paste by first soaking the chillies in hot boiling water for 15minutes. Once soaked remove the seeds and add to the rest of the paste ingredients.
  2. Peel and chop all the ingredients into smaller pieces to enable them to blend well.  Blend all paste ingredients until smooth.
  3. Heat oil in a wok or a heavy based casserole dish. Fry off the paste for about 5 minutes until it the aroma start to escape from the pan. Add the beef and the bashed lemongrass. Mix well and once the beef start to lose its pinkness, add in the coconut milk and water. Bring to boil and lower the heat to simmer with the lid uncover. Check occasionally to avoid sticking.

Note: While the beef is simmering away nicely, you can make the rice and roast the coconut to be added to the beef later.

  1. In a frying pan, toast the dessicated coconut until golden brown, usually takes about 5 – 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. After 1.5 hour, add the kaffir lime leaves, the seasoning and the toasted coconut. Simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes. You should start to see the oil separating from the mix. Your rendang is ready.
  3. For the rice, use a heavy based saucepan with lid. Heat oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds started popping, add turmeric, curry leaves if using, rice and mix well. Add chicken stock and water. Bring to boil and then turn the heat low to simmer. Once the water starts to absorb into the rice and forming bubbles ontop of rice, turn off the heat and put the lid on. Steam for 30 minutes.