Rendang is a meat dish that is slowly cooked in rich coconut milk and various spices. It was crowned as the most delicious food in the world by CNN World’s 50-Best Foods in 2011, and again in 2017. Even though rendang is originated from West Sumatra, its fame has made this dish accessible in every part of Indonesia. It is almost guaranteed that any Indonesian restaurant that you can find overseas will list rendang in their menus.
There are many rendang recipes that you can find out there, but this one has good news for you! It gives and preserves its authentic taste with fewer ingredients. It makes the first step way easier since most of ingredients in Asian cuisines can be hard to find in the market. Cooking rendang takes about 6 hours but it can last for around four weeks if stored in room temperature and months when refrigerated. This is part of the reasons why it is often sent as emergency food assistance to victims of natural disasters.
Procedures:
- Chop the beef into 50 pieces.
- Slice coconut and blend it with its water. Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag and squeeze out the water to make rich coconut milk.
- Blend red chili pepper and garlic into paste.
- Heat a big pan. Pour the coconut milk into it along with the red chili pepper and garlic paste, dried sour fruit, turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and salt.
- Keep stirring with a ladle in low heat to avoid curdling. Continue this process until you can see some oil on top.
- Add the beef. Keep stirring every 10 minute.
- After 1.5 hour, add the nutmeg powder and white pepper.
- Continue the process using metal spatula for 4-5 hours. This is needed for scrapping the bottom part of the pan to prevent burning.
- When the water is almost gone, stir every 5 minute.