Rendang Daging Recipe

Rendang Daging Recipe

(Indonesian Dry-Fried Spicy Beef Curry)

1.5 kg (3 lb) chuck, blade or round steak

1 cup thick coconut milk

½ cup water

1½ teaspoons salt or to taste

5 teaspoons chili powder, optional

2 teaspoons ground coriander (cilantro)

2 daun salam or 6 curry leaves

1 teaspoon laos powder

¼ cup tamarind juice, strained

2 teaspoons sugar or to taste

2 tablespoons oil

Ingredients to grind to paste:

2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

6 fresh red chilies

2-cm knob fresh turmeric, peeled

2-cm knob fresh ginger, peeled

4 dried red chilies

2 stalks fresh lemon grass, use the bottom white inner tender part only, sliced thinly

½ cup of coconut milk or enough water to keep blender moving

Method:

Cut beef into strips about 2.5 cm (1-inch) wide and 5 cm (2-inches) long.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a kuali and fry the paste until aromatic and add in meat.  Stir-fry a while then add in rest of ingredients except coconut milk, tamarind liquid and sugar.  Mix well, reduce heat to moderate and add tamarind juice and sugar and cook uncovered, until gravy is thick, stirring occasionally.  Turn heat to low and continue simmering until gravy is almost dry, stirring frequently to ensure mixture does not stick to pan.  At the end of cooking time, approximately 2½ hours, when oil separates from the gravy and meat is tender, add sugar and stir constantly.  Allow meat to fry in the oily gravy until it is dark brown.  Serve with hot steamed rice, one or two vegetables dishes, sambals and prawn (shrimp) crisps.