I found leftover beef rendang (recipe is attached), while cleaning my freezer and searched for my nasi kunyit recipe. I also discovered leftover rocket and spinach in the fridge, which I decided to add. After warming the beef rendang, I noticed there wasn’t much meat left, just enough for me.

Nasi is rice, kunyit is turmeric. Nasi kunyit is glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and turmeric. It’s a traditional dish of Malay and Peranakan origins that is often served during celebration and auspicious events. Common in my hometown for celebrating 1 month old baby. Normally served with red eggs and chicken curry. Also, it’s a traditional Indonesian celebration and auspicious events especially in Java and a popular cuisine.

What is beef rendang? Which part best to use? Many uses chuck, gravy, flank skirt or short rib. It’s your choice. Beef rendang is a spicy and fragrant beef dish that is slow-cooked “kind like stew type” over a long period of time. The resulting dish will be a deep brown colour with hardly any gravy left, hence the beef will still be succulent and tender. I can only tell you it’s “a rich and tender coconut beef stew which is a thick spicy (extra if you can take hotter) and explosively flavoursome,” that’s I dare say for sure to win you over if you eat it and let it swirl around your mouth and taste bud.

My beef rendang meat is so soft, it melts in my mouth, I have cooked it a bit longer and cut it a bit thinner. I am glad that it’s turned out fragrant and great with nasi kunyit, and salad. Let’s cook!!!

Nasi Kunyit Ingredients

500 g glutinous rice
1/2 Tbs turmeric powder
1 1/2 Tsp salt
20 white peppercorns
4 cloves
300 ml coconut milk
5-7 tbs water (opt)
oil to brush container

Beef rendang Ingredients

900 g skirt beef, cut into thin bite size
6 kaffir lime leaves, cut into very finely slices (given by friend)
3 Tbs Olive oil
3-5 cloves
3-5 star anise
3-5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemongrass, cut into 4-inch length and pounded
1 c water
1 big can coconut milk, about 400 ml
5 Tbs desiccated coconut, toasted (See Note)
3-4 Tsp tamarind paste (bought)
1-3 Tbs palm sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Spice Paste Ingredients

7 cloves garlic
6 shallots
2 lemongrass, white part only
1-2 Tsp galangal powder (you can use fresh 1 inch)
1 thumb size ginger (you can use powder 1 Tbs)
10-12 dried chilies, soaked in warm water and seeded

Salad

some leftovers rocket and spinach leaves

Method

Nasi kunyit–do in advance 6 hours or overnight

Wash and drain glutinous rice. Place in a stainless steel large bowl together with ground turmeric. Add enough water to cover the glutinous rice and allow it to soak at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Prepare the wok to steam glutinous rice. Drain glutinous rice. Brush oil lightly on the steaming metal container. Spoon glutinous rice with water into the container. Add salt, peppercorns, and cloves.

Pour in 240ml coconut milk and stir. Cover and steam over medium heat for 20–40 minutes, depending on how much rice you are steaming. Note: stir at an interval every 10 minutes, throughout cooking time. Remove lid and fluff glutinous rice with fork.

Empty the freshly cooked rice into a large glass bowl and spread it out with a large metal spoon. Now slowly add remaining 60 ml coconut milk a bit at a time, mixing continuously to distribute evenly using wide folding motions. Once you are happy with the consistency, leave it aside to cool completely.

The next day

Beef rendang

Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it with a bit chilli water 3 Tbs in a food processor until fine. Heat the oil in Bessemer pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.

Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the beef is almost cooked. Add the toasted coconut, kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, stirring to mixed well with beef.

Lower the heat to low, don’t cover with lid and simmer for 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until beef is really tender and the gravy has dried a bit. Stir the curry in the last 30-35 minutes, frequently when it starts to dry up and beef might get stuck to the base of pot. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste. Switch off hob and let curry sit for about 20-30 minutes to absorb the flavour more.

Note: To toast desiccated coconut: heat a pan on low heat. Cook desiccated coconut for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Got to watch make sure the desiccated are not browning too fast. Remove from hob and cool a bit then remove the brown bits and continue with the rest. When it had cool about 40 minutes. Blitz in food processor until fine. It will look like brown sugar.

Plating up: Spoon nasi kunyit onto blue bowl. For me: warmed up my leftover beef rendang in microwave for 1-2 minutes; at interval and stirs a couple of stirs. Then add to my nasi kunyit and mixed into it. Next scatters my leftover salad on top. You don’t have to mixed yours; just put your beef rendang on one side and followed by on the other side salad for presentation.

Note: If curry is cool, warm up again, and also the nasi kunyit. You can serve with achar pickle vegetables. Achar is a pickled vegetable. It’s a hot favourite among Asians. My grandma used to make it as she wanted a way to preserve foods for a longer period. At the same time being able to use them as accompaniments to compliment the main course or nasi kunyit. You can have 2 Spanish Onions and 2 cucumbers as salad for 4-6 people; depending on how many people you are serving. If 2-4 people 1of each is enough.

https://helenscchin.com/2022/07/13/nasi-kunyit-beef-rendang-with-salad/

Checkout my blog for Nasi kunyit beef rendang chicken potato with salad

https://helenscchin.com/2022/08/17/nasi-kunyit-beef-rendang-chicken-potato-with-salad/

Additional vegetables to serve with nasi kunyit beef rendang:

Helen’s Achar (Malaysian Nyonya mixed vegetable pickled):https://helenscchin.com/2015/02/24/helens-achar-malaysian-nyonya-mixed-vegetables-pickled/

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