Beef Rendang : Spicy Beef Stew with Roasted Coconut

OH. MY. GOD. I don't usually use 'Oh My God' to describe satisfaction, but this has OMG stamped all over. The recipe and instructions are from Rasa Malaysia. I have been so busy trawling her archives that I have ignored all other sites bookmarked. She has a book out and I can't wait to buy it as soon as it releases in Europe.

This rendang was so aromatic, you could smell it from our common stairway! The 'curry' boils, simmers and then reduces till it is almost fried in its own sauce. What you are left with is beef so tender and infused with all the taste and aromas of the spices.The taste is a hearty balance of creamy, spicy with just the right hint of tangy and sweet.

The ingredients list may look intimidating, but they are not that hard to find. I didn't have 'kerisik', so I bought some dried coconut flakes and toasted them till brown. And I didn't de-seed my chillies. Seeds are the WHOLE POINT! There is nothing like 'too spicy'. If you disagree, go eat a cucumber. And oh you will need patience! It took me 2.5 hours to cook this batch. I will try cooking it in a pressure cooker next time.

What I love best about Asian cooking is it's versatility. A pinch of this, a pinch of that. If something goes wrong, there is always something else at hand to save it. ( In my case potatoes. I haven't not seen potatoes in any beef rendang recipe but I had a little accident called -too much salt- which the potatoes troubleshot quite effectively)

Ingredients:
700 grams boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long)
3 cloves
3 star anise
3 cardamom pods
1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
6 tablespoons kerisik ( toasted grated coconut)
1 tablespoon sugar/palm sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Spice Paste:
5 shallots
1 inch galangal
3 lemongrass (white part only)
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Method:

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.
8. Serve with steamed rice.

Nasi Goreng ( Indonesian Fried Rice)

For someone who hasn't visited those countries yet, I am an Indonesian and Malaysian food fanatic. We are an Indian girl and Danish boy couple who cook Indonesian or Malaysian food at least two times a month. Today was leftover rice day. No one does left over rice better than Asians. I made Nasi Goreng, Indonesian fried rice. I don’t know if my Indonesian cooking tastes authentic, but I will remedy that by making my Indonesian friend Eva taste them. If she approves, I will add an 'ethnic approved' sign to the recipe later ;)

I used a recipe from Rasa Malaysia. I substituted some minor ingredients. In Indonesia, it is served topped with  a fried egg and sliced cucumbers or prawn crackers on the side. I served mine with fried egg, a green baby leaf salad  with a sesame oil and soy dressing. I didn't feel that the fried egg added anything to the meal. I will skip it next time. I wish I had had shrimps to add to the rice. They would go so well.

UPDATE- This recipe has been approved for authentic taste by my Indonesian friend ;)

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) Recipe

Ingredients:

1 shallot ( I used 1 red onion)
1 garlic ( I used 3. Garlic fiend!)
1 red chilli (seeded)
1/2 teaspoon toasted belacan-terasi ( I used a Thai dried shrimp and chilli paste.)
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar (I used regular white sugar)
1/2 tablespoon kecap manis/ Soy sauce.
250 grams / 8 oz. Cooked, leftover jasmine rice. Best if left overnight.
1 fried egg (well done)
2 tablespoons oil

Method:

Break the overnight/leftover rice using the back of a spoon so they don’t clump together. In a wok, toast the belacan on low heat until it becomes dry and aromatic. Toasted belacan should be somewhat powdery and appear like tiny granules. Fry an egg (well-done) and set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor, blend the shallot, garlic, red chilli, and toasted belacan. Transfer the blended flavouring paste into a small saucer.

Heat up a wok and add oil. Add the flavouring paste and stir-fry until aromatic or when the oil separates. Add the rice into the wok and stir well with the flavouring paste. Add kecap manis and palm sugar into the rice and continue to stir-fry and make sure that they are well blended with the rice. Dish out, top the nasi goreng with the fried egg and serve immediately.