Valhal Outdoor's Indonesian Rendang (Can also be vegan)

@valhaloutdoor

Discover the rich flavours of Rendang: A traditional Indonesian dish

Rendang is a well-known and beloved dish from Indonesian cuisine that has gained worldwide recognition. With its complex flavours and aromatic spices, rendang is a culinary experience not to be missed. Learn more about the history and flavours of rendang and find out how to prepare this delicious dish yourself.

Originally from West Sumatra, Indonesia, rendang is known for its lengthy preparation and deep flavour profile. The dish usually consists of slowly simmered beef in a rich and fragrant sauce based on coconut milk and spices. The combination of spices such as laos, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, chilli peppers and a mix of spices such as cumin, coriander and turmeric, gives rendang its distinctive flavour.

The preparation of rendang requires patience and attention. The beef is simmered in a mixture of spices, coconut milk and other seasonings until the meat has become soft and tender and the sauce has thickened. This lengthy cooking process ensures that the flavours are fully absorbed by the meat, making every bite an explosion of flavour.

Rendang can be served with white rice, rice noodles or even flatbread. The dish is rich and satisfying, with the perfect balance of spiciness, sweetness and spiciness. It is a feast for the taste buds and a true delight for lovers of Indonesian cuisine.

Want to experience the authentic flavours of rendang for yourself? Check out our delicious recipe and find out how to prepare this popular Indonesian dish at home. The recipe below is inspired by a traditional family recipe, but with some personal adaptations. One of those adjustments is to thicken the rendang fairly far, as this is my personal preference. Get started with the recipe and find out what your favourite flavour experience is.

Recipe Valhal Outdoor's Indonesian Rendang

Time: 5-6 hours
Number of persons: 4-6
Pan: VH6.1L, VH8L, VH6.1L+, VH8L+

Ingredients:

2 kg beef stew, cut into pieces (I always use beef rib steak)
4 stalks of lemongrass
7-9 fresh salam leaves
10-12 lime leaves (djeroek poeroet)
2x 400 ml cans of coconut milk

For the paste:

4 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
About 12 kemiri nuts
About 2 tablespoons of turmeric
Thumb-size piece of galangal (laos)
Inch-sized piece of ginger
12-14 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons shrimp paste (trassi)
7-8 shallots (Use Thai mini shallots if you can find them, 12 pieces)
5-6 finely chopped red chillies (for less spicy, you can remove the seeds)
Sunflower oil

Instructions:

Cut the beef stew into pieces. Not too small pieces, about 3-4cm cubes.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the cooker or bbq.
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in the Dutch oven for about a minute, until they become fragrant. Remove them from the Dutch oven and crush them finely in a mortar to powder.
Make a paste by finely grinding the galangal, ginger, turmeric, garlic, shallots, kemiri nuts, shrimp paste and the red chillies in a mortar or blender, along with a dash of sunflower oil. Make sure you get a nice paste.
Heat a dash of sunflower oil in the Dutch oven and gently fry the paste for about 5 minutes.
Add the beef stew to the Dutch oven and fry the meat until it gets a nice colour all around. If necessary, add a dash of water.
Add the first can of coconut milk to the Dutch oven and stir well. Turn down the heat.
Cut an inch off the bottom of the lemongrass stalks and remove the outer leaves. Bruise the stems by hitting them with a chef's knife or pan to release the flavours. Add the lemongrass stems, salam leaves and lime leaves to the Dutch oven.
TIP: Tie a knot in the lemongrass stalks before adding them, this makes it easier to take them out later.
Put the Dutch oven on the lowest heat and let the rendang simmer gently for at least 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the second can of coconut milk once most of the liquid has evaporated
Let the rendang simmer in the Dutch oven for another 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. You will notice that the rendang slowly becomes darker and more intense in flavour.
Should the liquid evaporate too quickly, you can add some more coconut milk. Don't have any extra coconut milk in the house? Then just a little water will do as well.
After a total of 4 to 5 hours of simmering, depending on the desired thickness and tenderness of the meat, the rendang is ready. Remove the lemongrass stems, salam leaves and lime leaves from the Dutch oven.
Serve the Indonesian rendang with white rice and possibly some side dishes like sambal, atjar and serundeng.
Enjoy this delicious and flavoursome Indonesian rendang, prepared in a Dutch oven! The slow cooking allows the flavours to develop properly and the meat becomes deliciously tender.

TIP: You can also make extra paste and freeze the part you don't use.

Vegan Rendang

Would you like to make a vegetarian/vegan version of this rendang? Then you can easily substitute the beef and trassi. During the cooking process, it is important to keep a close eye on your rendang as the cooking time can vary depending on the ingredient chosen to replace the beef.

As an alternative to the beef, you can choose jack fruit or pointed cabbage, for example. These combine well with the flavour of rendang and the texture is also good.

Trassi is a paste based on fermented prawns. You can choose to omit it, but personally I do think this is a flavour-defining ingredient and so would rather choose to substitute it myself. You can replace the trassi with taotjo, a Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans with wheat flour, which is related to miso.

From a special occasion to a weekday meal, a vega(n) rendang is sure to enchant your guests and yourself with its delectable aromas and flavours.

Terug naar overzicht