Beef Rendang has a unique & complex taste – spicy, piquant & appetising. The beef is super tender and flavoursome, having absorbed all the spices during the slow cooking process. It goes really well with steamed rice. Rendang is a dish originated from Indonesia. Apparently, it was once voted one of the world’s 50 most delicious food ! The meat is cooked with spices and coconut milk over a low flame until all the liquid is evaporated. This allows the meat to absorb all the spices and become tender. The slow cooking process takes time & occasional stirring so as not to burn the meat. Using a pressure cooker can reduce the amount of time and effort to make this delicious dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg stewing beef (cut into chunks)
1 Tbsp lemongrass (white part)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Onion paste: (process together)
– 1/2 onion
– 1″ ginger
– 2 or cloves of garlic
– 6 fresh chillies
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
3 cloves
1 aniseed
1 Tbsp Assam (tamarind) puree
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
1 tin of coconut milk
METHOD
- Cut the beef into 2” chunks.
- Make onion paste by grinding together onion, garlic, ginger and chillies until fine.
- Dry fry the desiccated coconut until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the beef chinks in batches. Allow the beef to sear so as to seal in the juices. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add onion paste. Fry until fragrant.
- Add the partially cooked beef and mix well.
- Add the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, aniseed, cloves and lemongrass. Mix well.
- Add coconut milk, then Assam juice, fried desiccated coconut and brown sugar. Mix well and bring to the boil.
- Transfer to a pressure cooker and pressure cook on High for 45 minutes. Alternatively, simmer in a pot for 1.5 hours. If using a pot, stir occasionally to prevent the meat from burning.
- Remove from the pressure cooker and cook until the sauce thickens and oil starts to separate out.
- Let the meat cook in the oil until the meat turns dark brown. This should take another 10 to 15 minutes.
