Rendang

Sumatra's slow-braised dry coconut and spice beef: the world's most complex dry curry, cooked until the coconut milk evaporates and the spice paste caramelises into the meat

Origin: Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia

From the journey of Ginger.

Rendang is the defining dish of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra (one of the world's largest matrilineal societies and one of Southeast Asia's great culinary civilisations. It was voted the world's most delicious food in CNN Travel's 2011 and 2017 global polls, a recognition that surprised no one who had eaten a properly made rendang: a preparation of such layered complexity, such concentrated depth, such extraordinary fragrance that it seems impossible it was achieved with the tools and ingredients of a highland Sumatran kitchen. Rendang begins as a wet curry) a generously spiced coconut milk braise in which the meat is submerged and slowly cooked. Unlike virtually every other coconut milk curry in world cooking, rendang is not finished when the coconut milk has been absorbed into a sauce. The process continues. The coconut milk reduces completely. The oil separates from the coconut solids. The spice paste (rempah, made from fresh ginger, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, shallots, chilli, and garlic) continues to fry in the rendered coconut oil. The meat continues to cook in the dry spice paste. Eventually, after three to four hours of slow continuous cooking, the meat has absorbed the entire spice paste, turned a deep mahogany brown, and become what rendang properly is: not a curry but a dry preparation, with a crust of caramelised spice clinging to each piece of deeply flavoured, completely tender meat. Ginger plays two distinct roles in rendang. In the rempah (spice paste), fresh ginger is pounded together with galangal and lemongrass (the triple aromatic foundation of Malay and Indonesian cooking) contributing sharp, citrus-forward heat that underpins the entire dish. As the rendang cooks down over hours, the ginger's volatile compounds concentrate and mellow, losing their raw sharpness and contributing instead a warm, complex depth that melds with the coconut and chilli into something entirely unified. A rendang without ginger is not rendang. Traditionally, rendang is made in large quantities for ceremonial occasions, weddings, Eid feasts, the reception of important guests. Its extraordinary keeping quality (properly made rendang keeps for up to a month at room temperature) made it ideal for the long journeys that Minangkabau traders undertook across the Malay Archipelago, carrying their culture, and their cooking: to Malaysia, Singapore, and coastal communities across the archipelago. Rendang became the food that travelled with the Minangkabau people and announced their arrival.

Ingredients

Meat

  • 1.2 kg beef shin or chuck, cut into large 5–6 cm pieces (keep them large, they will shrink significantly)

Cooking Liquid

  • 800 ml full-fat coconut milk (2 tins)
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves, whole
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised with the back of a knife and tied in a knot
  • 1 turmeric leaf (daun kunyit), tied in a knot, optional but traditional

Rempah (Spice Paste)

  • 3 dried red chillies (large), soaked in hot water for 10 min and drained
  • 6 fresh red chillies (medium heat), roughly chopped
  • 8 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 cm fresh galangal (lengkuas), peeled and roughly chopped, or 1 tsp dried galangal powder
  • 2 lemongrass stalks (tender inner part only), roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

Finishing

  • 50 g kerisik (toasted desiccated coconut, ground to a paste), see tip
  • 1 tsp palm sugar or dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Method

  1. Make the kerisik: dry-toast desiccated coconut in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown. Remove and grind in a spice grinder or pound in a mortar until it forms an oily paste. Set aside.
  2. Make the rempah: blend all spice paste ingredients together (dried chillies, fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, coriander) with a splash of water into a smooth paste using a blender or pound in a mortar.
  3. Pour the coconut milk into a wide, heavy pot or wok over medium heat. Add the rempah, kaffir lime leaves, bruised whole lemongrass, and turmeric leaf. Stir well to combine. Add the beef pieces. Bring to a gentle boil.
  4. Reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes as the coconut milk slowly reduces and thickens.
  5. As the coconut milk reduces further and begins to look oily, increase stirring frequency. The mixture will begin to 'fry' in the rendered coconut oil: stir constantly at this stage to prevent burning. Cook for a further 30–45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is coated in the dry, deeply browned spice paste.
  6. Stir in the kerisik, palm sugar, and salt. Cook for a further 5 minutes, tasting and adjusting. The finished rendang should be dry, deeply fragrant, dark brown, and intensely flavoured: not saucy.

Notes

Rendang improves significantly over 24–48 hours as the spices meld. Make it a day ahead when possible. It keeps at room temperature (in a cool kitchen) for up to a week, and in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, the spice paste acts as a natural preservative. Serve with plain steamed rice (nasi putih) or Malay compressed rice cake (ketupat). Rendang is traditionally made with buffalo, but beef shin or chuck gives a similar result in a domestic kitchen. The dish is considered complete when you can hear and feel the spice paste 'frying' in coconut oil with each stir, the characteristic rendang sound.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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