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Beef Rendang - the best and most authentic beef rendang recipe you will find online! Spicy, rich and creamy Malaysian/Indonesian beef stew made with beef, spices and coconut milk.
Table of Contents
What Is Rendang?
Rendang is a rich and tender coconut beef stew which is explosively flavorful and beef rendang is the most popular rendang.
Called “rendang daging” in local language, it’s arguably the most famous beef recipe in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Origins of Rendang
Beef rendang is of Indonesian origin, a delicious concoction from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia.
It’s often served at ceremonial occasions and to honor guests.
I believe the dish came to Malaysia when the Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra migrated to the southern part of the Malay peninsula during the era of the Melaka Sultanate.
This dish is well loved by many Malaysians, especially the Malay community.
While beef rendang is the poster child, there are variations such as chicken rendang and lamb rendang.
They are all absolutely delicious and best with rice, or Malaysian coconut milk rice (nasi lemak).
Other Recipes You Might Like
Chicken Rendang
Lamb Rendang
Panang Curry
What Kind of Beef for Rendang?
I used boneless beef short ribs or stew beef. The cut of beef will ensure that you have soft and tender beef once it’s cooked.
You have to cut the beef into small pieces to ensure that after the slow cooking, each chunk of beef is tender with the aromatic rendang curry paste.
Secret Ingredient of Rendang Sauce
To make the best rendang, you need to have the secret ingredient which is kerisik or toasted coconut.
You also need to cook on low heat to slowly stew and simmer the meat and reduce the rendang sauce.
I read that the Minangkabaus save the dish for months as the complex taste and flavor develop over time.
The Best and Most Authentic Rendang
I suggest that you make a big portion so you have some leftover. The flavors and aroma become more intense the next day.
Do try my recipe because it’s the most delicious and best beef rendang recipe you will find online!
Beef Rendang - the best and most authentic beef rendang recipe you will find online! Spicy, rich and creamy Malaysian/Indonesian beef stew made with beef, spices and coconut milk.
4.55 from 725 votes
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By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 4People
Prep 15 minutesmins
Cook 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total 1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Ingredients
1 1/2lbs.boneless beef short ribs, cut into cubes
5tablespoonscooking oil
1stickcinnamon(about 2-inch length)
3cloves
3star anise
3cardamom pods
1lemongrass(cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
1cupthick coconut milk(coconut cream)
1cupwater
2teaspoonstamarind pulp(soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds)
6kaffir lime leaves(very finely sliced)
6tablespoonskerisik(toasted coconut)
1tablespoonsugar or palm sugar to taste
salt to taste
Spice Paste:
5shallots
1inchgalangal
3lemongrass(white part only)
5clovesgarlic
1inchginger
10-12dried chilies(soaked in warm water and seeded)
Instructions
Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.
Notes
To prepare thekerisikor toasted coconut, just add the grated coconut to a dry wok and stir continuously until they turn golden brown.
Course: Malaysian Recipes
Cuisine: Malaysian
Keywords: Beef Rendang
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Beef Rendang (The Best!)
Amount Per Serving (4 People)
Calories 416Calories from Fat 468
% Daily Value*
Fat 52g80%
Saturated Fat 24g150%
Cholesterol 100mg33%
Sodium 132mg6%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 36g72%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Indomie Mie Goreng Rasa Rendang is an instant-noodle judicial variant that comes from Indonesia and consists of delicious fried pasta with rending taste. Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish that consists of delicate meat, coconut milk and spices and is cooked for hours to achieve an intensive taste.
So, the conclusion is that the difference between Indonesian and Malaysian Rendang lies in the way it is cooked and the addition of kerisik. So it can be said that Minangkabau rendang and Malaysian rendang are two different foods, even though they have roots from the same culinary tradition.
Beef - You can use any slow cooking cut of beef for this recipe but chuck is best. As with all slow cooked beef recipes, the fattier beef, the juicier the meat will be when cooked. Gravy beef and beef cheeks are also good. Brisket will work but has less fat throughout so not as juicy.
The curry is aromatic, the spices come together beautifully. The extra effort you take to make the caramelized coconut makes all the difference to the sweetness and texture of the dish. The rendang is sweet initially, followed by a complex spice profile and it finished with a medium lingering heat that is addictive.
In Indian aesthetics, a rasa (Sanskrit: रस) literally means "juice, essence or taste". It is a concept in Indian arts denoting the aesthetic flavour of any visual, literary or musical work that evokes an emotion or feeling in the reader or audience, but cannot be described.
Comment: Although this dish is moderately high in energy and fat, it should not be eaten regularly as it is high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also low in fibre.
Nasi lemak is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered as the national dish.
As the signature dish of Minangkabau culture, rendang is traditionally served at ceremonial occasions to honour guests during festive events, such as wedding feasts and Lebaran (Indonesian popular words for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha).
The word Rendang generally means to stew a dish of meat infused with aromatic spices and coconut milk for hours. It stems from the verb merendang which refers to a process of slow cooking while constantly mixing the ingredients in a pot until the liquid evaporates and the meat is well done.
If rendang is chewy and tough, then you don't cook it properly (it's either due to not long enough cooking or not slicing the beef against the grain). What makes rendang special is the epic spice explosion that you can taste in a single bite of rendang meat.
Towards the end I stir it every 5 minutes. You should have a very thick, not runny sauce, and you can add more water if it gets too dry as it cooks. If the beef is done, but there is too much liquid, just open the pot and stir for a few more minutes to let it reduce.
The traditional side dish for a rendang is rice - try a coconut or tumeric rice to complement the flavors in the sauce, and serve with some additional toasted coconut and chopped lime leaf and coriander on the side.
Rendang is made with beef that is slow-cooked in a spice paste and coconut milk for at least 3 hours which creates a flavorful taste. This dish is very famous in every part of the country even in outside of the country.
Freshly cooked beef rendang can also be eaten over several days — in fact, the chef recommends letting the rendang rest overnight for even deeper flavours. “This really allows the flavour to develop and mature,” he says.
Cooked alongside the chicken are other ingredients like lemongrass, turmeric, chili, garlic, coconut milk, and onions. Kahanga Rendang. This is a dish comprised of shellfish meat stir-fried with seasonings of lemongrass, golden coconut meat, lemongrass, and onions.
Rasa kayi is a traditional Indian mixed vegetable curry originating from South India, and it's especially popular in Karnataka. The dish is usually made with a combination of onions, hot peppers, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, coconut milk, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, oil, and salt.
There are many types of rendang. Beef rendang is the best-known variety of rendang and can be found easily. The other kinds of rendang are made with chicken, fish, egg, squid, and shrimp. Beef rendang has its own varieties such as rendang paru, rendang limpa, and rendang babat.
Rendang is rich in spices. Along with the main meat ingredient, rendang uses coconut milk and a paste of mixed ground spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric leaves, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, chillis and other spices.
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