Padang’s Beef Rendang

Rendang : Taste of Indonesia

              One of the famous dishes of Padang is the beef rendang. It’s quite a spicy dish but if you like spicy then this is something you may want to try at home. There are actually several variations of the dish, although the most famous version is the Padang version. Here is a recipe taken from Femina magazine, which is based on a recipe from a famous Padang restaurant chain, Natrabu. The recipe yields approximately 6 portions, and holds about 734 calories per portion.

Ingredients:

2 liters of coconut milk taken from 4 grated coconuts. You can also use ready made coconut milk sold in the supermarkets, such as Kara. In this case, since the ready made version is concentrated, I would say 200 ml would be enough (then add water to make up for the required 2 liters of liquid), but if you like it thick, you can use more to your own taste;

1 kg topside beef, cut into cubes;
100 gr lengkuas (galangal or wild ginger), crushed; substitute with 1-2 teaspoons of the powder version;
5 lemongrass sticks (white parts only), crushed;
3 turmeric leaves, slice thinly;
15 kaffir lime leaves or substitute with app. 1 tbsp of lemon thyme;
1 tsp nutmeg powder;
250 gr red chilli, if you don’t like it hot, remove the seeds;

300 gr shallots (small red onions);
150 gr garlic;
50 gr ginger;
50 gr turmeric;
2 tbsp coriander seeds, ‘dry-fry’ or toast (fry in pan without oil) to induce fragrance;
2 tsp palm sugar
200 gr candle nut, ‘dry-fry’ to induce flavor;
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar


How to make it:

              Using a mortar and pestle (or simply a food processor), grind and mix the chillies, shallot, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander seeds, palm sugar, candle nuts, salt and sugar, to form a paste. Cook the paste together with the coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients (except the beef) on medium heat, stirring often to avoid the coconut milk from breaking, until it boils. Add the beef, cook, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced significantly. Normally, the Padang style rendang has not much sauce/liquid, but you can adjust the liquid thickness and amount to your own taste. It is usually served with rice since it is quite spicy and tasty, and the rice will help tone down the spice a bit.

Happy cooking!