Indonesian Beef Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish that is made with tender chunks of beef that are slow-cooked in a fragrant coconut milk and spice mixture. It is a popular dish in Indonesia and is often served at special occasions and celebrations. This dish originates in Sumatra, but also found its way to dining tables in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines.
The slow cooking process helps to infuse the flavors of the spices into the meat, resulting in a rich, flavorful, and satisfying meal. In this recipe, we will guide you through the process of making authentic Indonesian beef rendang at home. With a little bit of patience and the right ingredients, you can easily recreate this classic dish in your own kitchen. I like to cook this Rendang in bulk and freeze in portions. Serving tip: serve this Rendang with yellow rice and a fresh Indonesian Gado Gado salad!
Now let’s cook this authentic beef rendang recipe! 😊
Step 1
First, we will add some boiling water to the dried chilies to rehydrate them. Toast the cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns, and star anise in a dry pan on medium-low heat until fragrant, and add them first to a dry blender. Blend this until as fine as possible with your equipment. A spice blender or pestle and mortar also works perfectly.
Step 2
Then peel the onions, garlic, ginger, and galangal and give the ingredients a rough chop. Now we peel one or two layers off the lemongrass and chop the lower white part in fine rings. Remove the veins from the kaffir lime leaves and add all the ingredients that we just cleaned, soaked, or cut to the blender, together with the candlenut nuts and the fresh chili. Blend until you have a smooth paste and use some of the chili soaking water to make sure your mixer can handle the substance.
Step 3
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the rendang curry paste to the pot and fry until fragrant and the oil starts to separate from the paste, about 5-10 minutes. Add the beef to the pot and stir to coat the beef in the curry paste and fry for 3-5 more minutes
Step 4
Add the coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, cumin, lemongrass leftovers, salt, and turmeric to the pot. Steer to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened about 2-3 hours. I like to put my pan covered in a preheated oven of 125 degrees Celsius (275 Fahrenheit). Remember to stir frequently when you leave it on the stove and every 45 minutes when placing in the oven.
Step 5
To finish the dish we are going to toast the grated coconut in a dry pan over medium heat until GBD (golden brown delicious). Take the lid of the rendang and reduce the leftover juices into a thick sauce. Add the toasted coconut and now we are ready to plate up! Serve with a warm bowl of rice. Rendang is mostly part of a bigger spread of dishes on the table but is also very suitable for weeknight dinners in combination with a salad or warm vegetable on the side.
Chefs tip
“Making authentic Indonesian beef rendang takes some time, but it is definitely worth the wait and if you make a big batch it will save you time on a few busy weekends in the future. Also, delicious to be paired with sweet and sour pickled vegetables .”
