Cooking Rendang with my mom is one of those memories that I can almost taste every time I think about it. I’d stand beside her in the kitchen, did a good sous chef duty, executing the spices for her to be ready to be blended. The scent of garlic, ginger, and lemongrass filling the air like a warm hug. She would assigned me to guard and stir the wok so it won’t burn, the spatula was heavy with chunks of beef slowly soaking up the creamy coconut milk and the deep, earthy flavours of the spices. We would talk about a lot of things, laugh, and she would always share stories of how she made our old neighbour from Padang, West Sumatera (where the Rendang is originated from) impressed that she was able to master Rendang as a young mother from Sulawesi back then. She was very proud and so was I 🙂
Rendang is a dish that embodies the soul of Indonesian cuisine, rich in flavour and steeped in tradition. Rendang is more than just food—it’s a cultural treasure. Traditionally, rendang was a dish reserved for special occasions, served at weddings, festivals, and to honour guests. Today, it remains a beloved dish, not just in Indonesia but around the world, celebrated for its depth of flavour and the care and love that goes into making it. In my family tradition, my Mom and I would make Rendang mostly for the special occasion, Eid. We would then made a bunch of foods and opened our house for our family and friends to savour the delicious foods we made, plus my Mom would not let them back home empty handed – as if they didn’t have enough to eat, they were also allowed to pack some foods to bring back home 😀 #IndonesianStyle
Making rendang is a labor of love, a slow-cooked dish that requires patience but rewards you with deep, rich flavours and tender beef. Here are some tips to make Rendang:
- Patience is Key: Rendang is all about slow cooking, so take your time to let the flavours develop. When I said earlier that my Mom assigned me to guard it, it was not a joke.
- Flavour Balance: Taste the dish as it cooks and adjust the seasoning. Rendang has strong spiced flavour, therefore, it’s best to cook it first until the oil comes out, and if you think it is not salty or less sweet, then you can add more flavour to it. In my personal experience, I never needed to add any flavours to my rendang.
- Make Ahead: Rendang often tastes even better the next day, as the flavours continue to meld. I like to make my rendang in a big batch, so I can freeze it and eat it when I’m craving for it or when I have a special guest, so I won’t need to hangout in the kitchen for a whole day again and again 😀
Rendang
Equipment
- 1 Large wok
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Blender
- 1 Pestle and mortar or use a food processor for the coconut
Ingredients
- 2½ kg Beef Preferably less fat meat for its authentic firmer texture
- 1 liter Coconut milk
- 1 liter Coconut cream
- 4 pcs Lemon grass Smashed and knot (use 2pcs for big ones)
- 3 cm Galangal Smashed
- 12 pcs Kefir lime leaves
- 10 pcs Salam leaves
- 2 pcs Turmeric leaves
- 3 pcs Star anise
- 2 pcs Cinnamon sticks
- 5 pcs Cloves
- 5 pcs Cardamom
- 2 tbsp Beef bouillon powder
- 1 tsp Salt adjust for your preference
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 1 block Javanese brown sugar It's around 30gr – 50gr
Mix in a blender (you can adjust the spiciness level to your liking. I cook for Dutch people so I didn’t make it very spicy)
- 300 gr Big red peppers
- 15 pcs Shallots
- 12 cloves Garlic
- 3 cm Galangal
- 3 cm Ginger
- 8 pcs Kemiri nuts
- 100 ml Water or oil
Powdered spices
- 2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
Krisik (Toasted coconut)
- 300 gr Shredded coconut
- 50 ml Neutral oil if you use food processor
Instructions
Krisik (Toasted coconut)
- Add the shredded coconut in a pan and toast it until golden brown. Keep on stirring it, so the coconut will toast evenly.and pound it in a pestle and mortar until it’s oily and creamy.
- Once the coconut is toasted with a darker brown color, transfer it into a pestle and mortar. Pound the toasted shredded coconut until it becomes oily and creamy. You can alternate it by blend it in a food processor with 50ml oil until it becomes softer and creamy.
Blended Spice
- Cut all the blended spice ingredients into smaller chunks and add them to a blender. I used a hand blender, but you can use any blender.
- Blend until everything is smooth and add in all the powdered ingredients. Blend one more time until everything is well combine and smooth.
Cooking time!
- Cut the meat into big chunks about 3-4cm. Clean the beef cuts with a runny cold water, set aside.
- In a large pre-heated wok, pour in the blended spices (I didn't use oil, but you can if you prefer). Add in the smashed lemon grass, smashed galangal, kefir lime leaves, salam leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, and stir until well combine.
- Once the aroma comes out, add in the Krisik (the blended toasted coconut), stir until well combine.
- Add in the beef chunks into the sautéd mixture and stir gently until the sauce covering the meat.
- Next, pour in the coconut milk and coconut cream and add in the brown sugar. Stir again until everything well combine and cook in a low heat for about 3-5 hours (the cooking time is depending on the type of meat you are using or the thickness of the meat and the amount of meat you are cooking, so be patient! ;))
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. As the rendang cooks, the liquid will reduce, and the coconut milk will thicken, turning into a rich, dark sauce that coats the beef.
- Continue to cook the rendang until the sauce has almost completely evaporated, and the oil has separated. The beef should be tender and coated in a thick, aromatic sauce. This final stage of cooking is what gives rendang its signature deep, caramelized flavor.
- Serve the rendang with steamed rice, and enjoy!!!! 😉
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