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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.
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.
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.
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.
Including these tastes in every meal helps achieve optimal health & nourishment. The concept of Rasa is explained here. Individually each taste is referred to as 'RASA'; Sanskrit word for 'Taste'. These tastes or Rasa's are made from the five essentials of our doshas – fire, air, space, water & earth.
Rendang almost has beef jerky consistency due to long process of cooking. The correct texture of rendang is soft and easy to bite through. 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).
Increase heat to medium-high and fry the beef on the coconut oil reduction/blondo. Be careful not to burn it. This will absorb the last of the oil – unless you like more gravy – and help to tenderise the meat. Before serving, let the rendang rest so the meat relaxes and flavours are enhanced.
It's basically a philosophical term that refers to a special process, which makes beef tender, dry, and flavorful. The complex cooking process gives rendang a very unique and delicious taste. And that is why, on 14th April 2021, CNN highlighted Rendang as the 11th spot in their list of World's 50 Best Foods.
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).
Fat content in the two beef rendang shows a difference, rendang using wet seasoning has more fat content than meat rendang using dry seasoning. The water content in beef rendang using wet seasoning is lower (16.36%) than dry seasonings (17.57).
The rendang may also be very watery if you've added too much liquid. Thus, drain some of the liquid away before you continue simmering the rendang. Some households opt to add in cornstarch to thicken their rendang when it becomes too watery.
It's one of Indonesian dishes which originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia. 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.
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.
RASA is a Sanskrit word that means “divine nectar.” It also means “the sap, the juice, the essence or vitality in a substance.” RASA FOODS: DELECTABLE SALUBRIOUS COOKERY takes pride in creating meals fortified with the nourishing essence and vitality of life.
Not considered a curry in Indonesia but rather thought of more as a stew, the Thai version is also very thick. Rendang is considered a "dry" curry, which means the sauce is reduced to a minimum. Because it is so condensed, the sauce sticks to the meat, making this dish incredibly flavorful.
This is a great experience of Indonesian cuisine. Rendang stands out due to its rich and complex flavor profile, which it acquires through the combination of many different spices and herbs. The most commonly used spices include turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, allspice, garlic, ginger, and chili.
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