Today, I craved for beef rendang, so I decided to make it to go with Nasi kunyit and uh huh! Here’s what I know about rendang, trust its description will make you mouth-watering and will cook it. Bear in mind there are lots of rendang recipes too for you to choose if you like.
Traditionally beef is the choice since beef withstands the prolonged cooking time and relatively cheap cuts are used. What is beef rendang? Which part best to use? Many use 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. Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!
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.
My beef rendang meat is so soft, it melt 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, leftover oyster sauce chicken, salad and vegetables. 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
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
Oyster sauce chicken Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size
1 Tsp corn flour
2-3 Tbs oil
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 Tbs light soy sauce
1 Tsp sesame oil
4 Tbs water
1 Tsp corn flour
1 Tbs Shao Xing Chinese wine
1 Tsp sugar
salt
pepper
Vegetables
1 (500 g) packet Brussels Sprouts, stem remove and cut lengthwise halved
1/2 cauliflower, florets
water
salt
Salad Ingredients side dish (Opt)
2 big purple onion, cut thick pieces, plate them
2 cucumber, halves, removed middle soft part, cut bite size and plate them
Nasi kunyit Method
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.
Beef rendang Method
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 dry 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.
Oyster sauce chicken
Coat chicken pieces with the cornflour for 10 minutes. Combine all the sauce ingredients, except the oil and mix well. Set aside. In a pan, heat up oil on high heat, cook garlic until fragrant about 25 seconds. Add in chicken pieces and continue to cook for about 7-9 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Add in the sauce and mix well a couple of times or until the sauce thickens. Spoon onto plate.
Vegetables Ingredients
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, once water is boiled add in Brussels sprouts and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Then add in florets cauliflower in cook for 3-4 minutes. Meantime, assemble on plate: spoon nasi kunyit onto plate, followed by beef rendang, oyster sauce chicken, salad and then drain the vegetables and put into the assemble plate. Enjoy with a cold beer or white wine.
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 bout 40 minutes. Blitz in food processor until fine. It will look like brown sugar.
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