Indonesian beef rendang

A rich, slow-cooked dry curry from West Sumatra, where the beef simmers in coconut milk and spices until the sauce almost disappears and clings to every piece. Even better made the day before.

Ingredients

• 2 Onions, roughly chopped
• 0.4 Garlic, 4 cloves
• 30 g Fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 Fresh chillies, red, roughly chopped (deseed for less heat)
• 3 g Ground turmeric
• 5 g Ground coriander
• 3 g Ground cumin
• 30 ml Vegetable oil
• 800 g Stewing beef, cut into 4cm chunks
• 2 Lemongrass, bashed with a rolling pin
• 1 Cinnamon sticks
• 2 g Star anise, 2 stars
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 15 g Tamarind paste
• 15 g Soft brown sugar
• 5 g Salt
• 40 g Desiccated coconut
• 300 g Jasmine rice

Method

1. Blitz the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and ground spices in a food processor with a splash of water to a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and fry the paste over a medium heat, stirring often, until it darkens and smells fragrant.
3. Add the beef, lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise and stir until the beef is coated. Pour in the coconut milk and 200ml water, add the tamarind, sugar and salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered over a low heat, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened right down.
5. Meanwhile toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan, stirring, until deep golden. Stir it into the curry.
6. Keep cooking, stirring more often now so it does not catch, until the sauce is thick and dark and clings to the beef, and the oil starts to separate.
7. While the rendang finishes, rinse the rice and cook it in salted water. Drain and keep covered.
8. Fish out the lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise and serve the rendang with the rice.