Malaysian Beef Rendang Recipes

BEEF RENDANG (THE BEST!)

Steps:

• Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
• Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
• Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.

MALAYSIAN BEEF CURRY

Steps:

• Thinly slice the shallots, peel the garlic and deseed the chillies, and put in the bowl of a food processor. Peel and roughly chop the fresh turmeric, ginger and galangal, and add to the bowl with the ground turmeric and tamarind. Blitz until it forms a rough paste.
• Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass and roughly chop the stalks. Roughly tear the kaffir lime leaves.
• Heat 4 tablespooons of vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Stir in the paste, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, season with sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Trim the beef and cut into 4cm pieces. Add to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pieces begin to brown, stirring to make sure the meat is coated in the paste.
• Stir in the coconut milk, pop on the lid, and simmer over a low heat for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Deseed and thinly slice the red chilli and scatter over the curry. Delicious with boiled rice and fried crispy shallots.

BEEF RENDANG

Steps:

• Place Spice Paste ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until fine. NOTE: If using dried chilli and you know your food processor is not that powerful, chop the chilli first.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add half the beef and brown, then remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Lower heat to medium low. Add Spice Paste and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the wetness has reduced and the spice paste darkens (don't breathe in too much, the chilli will make you cough!).
• Add remaining Curry ingredients and beef. Stir to combine.
• Bring to simmer, then immediately turn down the heat to low or medium low so the sauce is bubbling very gently.
• Put the lid on the pot and leave it to simmer for 1 hr 15 minutes.
• Remove lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. You don't want it to be "fall apart at a touch" at this stage, but it should be quite tender. If it is fall apart already, remove the beef from the pot before proceeding.
• Turn up heat to medium and reduce sauce for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring every now and then at first, then frequently towards the end until the beef browns and the sauce reduces to a paste that coats the beef. (Note 9)
• The beef should now be very tender, fall apart at a touch. If not, add a splash of water and keep cooking. Remove from heat and serve with plain or Restaurant Style Coconut Rice.

RENDANG GAGING (BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Place shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, galangal, and chile peppers in a food processor; process spices into a coarse paste.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add spice paste; cook and stir until sizzling and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef; stir to coat with spices, about 3 minutes. Pour in coconut milk. Cover and simmer stew until beef is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Stir vinegar, sugar, and salt into the pot. Continue to cook, covered, until sauce reduces and thickens, about 30 minutes more.

MALAYSIAN BEEF RENDANG

Steps:

• Heat the coconut in a dry wok, stirring continuously until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Using a blender or a food processor, blend the shallots, garlic, chilies, ginger, and lemon grass to a thick paste.
• Grind the coriander, fennel, cumin and nutmeg.
• Using the wok, fry the shallot paste in a little oil for a few minutes. Add the ground coriander, fennel, cumin and nutmeg; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Add beef; cook over a medium heat for a further 3 to 4 minutes, or until meat is browned.
• Stir in sugar, coconut, cloves, cinnamon stick, coconut milk , and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until most of the liquid has gone and the meat is tender (about 1 hour). Season with salt to taste.