Beef rendang
Rendang is an Indonesian stew in which beef simmers gently for hours in coconut milk with a homemade spice paste, the bumbu. Toasted coconut gives the sauce a rich, nutty finish.
- Serves 6
Method
Bumbu
Put the star anise in a pan with a little coconut milk and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the shallots and garlic and peel the ginger and turmeric. Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal and chillies.
Remove the star anise from the coconut milk.
Grind the shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal, chillies, cumin, coriander and the coconut milk in the mortar (or food processor) into a spice paste: the bumbu.
Meat and sauce
Cut the meat into satay-sized cubes and mix with the tamarind.
Heat a spoonful of oil in the casserole and fry the bumbu.
Trim the ends of the lemongrass, remove the outer leaf, bruise the stalk and tie it in a knot.
Add the lemongrass, whole cloves, salam leaf, candlenuts and lime leaves together with the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the coconut milk has thickened.
Simmering
Add the meat and simmer for 3 hours (or 1 hour in the pressure cooker).
Meanwhile, toast the desiccated coconut until golden brown in a clean, dry non-stick pan.
After 2.5 hours, add the toasted coconut and salt to taste.
Equipment
Knife, chopping board, mortar and pestle (or food processor), casserole (or pressure cooker), non-stick frying pan
Tip: Desiccated coconut colours very quickly once the pan is hot. Stay with it and stir regularly.
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