Rendang is my most favorite Indonesian dish. When we were on holiday in Bali in 2019, I regularly ate rendang, but I still like my homemade rendang the best. It can take up to 3 days to make rendang, especially if you make the stock yourself. In another recipe I indicate how to make veal stock. You need stock for rendang and then veal stock is best. You can buy stock in the store, but nothing beats homemade stock. Zie https://explorer4experience.com/veal-stock/ voor het recept van kalfsfond.

All ingredients must simmer for a long time. Use a large pan for this. I have a Le Creuset casserole, this is a great pan to make this dish in. A large casserole is of course also possible.

Ingredients (for 4 persons)

Ingredients Rendang
  • Lemongrass stems (4 pieces)
  • Ginger fresh (about 4 cm.)
  • Kaffir lime leaves (8 pieces)
  • Veal stock (400 ml)
  • Kemir nuts (4 pieces)
  • Garlic (1/2 – 1 bulb)
  • Coconut milk (400 ml)
  • Scraped Coconut (small hand)
  • Cumin (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Coriander seeds (about 1.5 tablespoon)
  • Turmeric (about 1 teaspoon)
  • Galanga (about 2 cm.)
  • Olive oil (splash for baking)
  • Salam leaves (2 pieces)
  • Sambal (2-3 tablespoons)
  • Tamarind paste (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Shrimp paste or Trassi (2 tablespoons)
  • Onions (2 pieces)
  • Possibly a chili (not necessarily necessary)
  • Lean beef pot roast
  • Chili flakes / dried red peppers
  • Coriander (fresh)
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

Roast the kemir nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes until they are brown and crispy.

Peel and chop the onion and fry in a little olive oil together with the crushed garlic and the shrimp paste (trassi)

Onion, garlic and shrimp paste

Chop the kemir nuts and add to the onion. Then add the spices (coriander seeds, cumin and turmeric) as well as the sambal and tamarind paste. Stir everything well.

Remove the bottom of the lemongrass and cut the lemongrass in half and bruise it. Then add to the onion and herbs. Then add the kaffir lime and the salam leaves and the scraped coconut.

Onion, garlic, herbs, lemongrass, kaffir lime, salam and coconut

Then add the coconut milk and grate the peeled ginger and the peeled galangal over the pan. Use a fine grater.

Grate the galangal and ginger

Finally, add the veal stock and bring it to boil. If you want to add the chili, cut it into small pieces. Remove most of the seeds and add the red pepper to the sauce.

As soon as the sauce boils, reduce the heat and let everything simmer for over an hour.

All ingredients for the “sauce”.

After an hour, cut the beef into strips and fry briefly. The meat can be seasoned if you wish.

Strips of beef
short brown baked pot roast

Once the meat is browned, add it to the rendang and stir everything well. Leave the heat on low and let the rendang continue to cook gently.

Rendang with some meat added

The meat should simmer for at least 4 hours. I myself close the pan with the lid part of the time and open the lid part of the time. The moisture must largely evaporate / reduce.

after simmering for 4-5 hours with all ingredients, the moisture has reduced considerably.

It is best to turn off the heat afterwards, leave all the ingredients in the pan and leave everything overnight. The flavors mix even better and the taste becomes even more intense. This is not necessary, you can also continue immediately, but I leave the rendang overnight to get the authentic Indonesian taste.

The next day, let the rendang warm over very low heat. Remove all non-edible ingredients (lemongrass, salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves).

Rendang stripped of the inedible ingredients.

When it is warm, serve it. Sprinkle some fresh coriander and chili flakes over the rendang. Serve the rendang with rice, homemade prawn crackers and homemade atjar (http://explorer4experience.com/atjar-tjampoer/).

Rendang, rice and homemade prawn crackers.
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