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Beef Rendang

By Nagi Maehashi
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The KING OF ALL CURRIES is here!!! Beef Rendang has incredible depth of flavour, with complexity and many layers of spices. It’s straight forward to make, though it does take time and perhaps a trip to the Asian grocery store (though Sydney-siders will find everything at Woolies). Watch the video and drool!

The King of all Curries, Beef Rendang is straight forward to make and has incredible deep, complex flavours. Quick recipe video provided! recipetineats.com

Beef Rendang

This Beef Rendang recipe is from a payroll lady at a company I used to work for. It’s her Malaysian mother’s recipe. I still remember, so many years later, how we used to bond over food at the water cooler!

I actually first published this recipe a couple of years ago but I’ve made some minor improvements that will make your life easier without changing the flavour at all. Plus I made a recipe video!

Beef Rendang is the king of all curries!

The King of all Curries, Beef Rendang is straight forward to make and has incredible deep, complex flavours. Quick recipe video provided! recipetineats.com

What is Beef Rendang?

Beef Rendang is a Malaysian curry and is considered by many to be the king of all curries! To say it’s extravagantly delicious is an understatement. There are very few curries in this world with such amazingly complex flavours.

Originally from Indonesia though now more well known as a Malaysia curry, the sauce is made with aromatic spices like cinnamon, cardamom and star anise as well as fresh aromatics including lemongrass, garlic, ginger and galangal.

Unlike many curries, Beef Rendang is a dry curry which means there is not loads of sauce. However, the meat is so ridiculously tender and has a thick coating of sauce on each piece, so when the meat literally falls apart at a touch, it mixes through rice, flavouring it like saucy curries.

If you love South East Asian curries, Beef Rendang is without a doubt one of the best!

Here in Sydney, you can get all the ingredients for Beef Rendang at Woolworths and Coles. Seriously!

Beef Rendang Spice Paste

How to make Beef Rendang

Though there’s a fair few ingredients in this, some of which may not be familiar to you and are certainly not everyday ingredients even in my world, it’s actually quite a straightforward recipe:

  1. Blitz curry paste ingredient in food processor;

  2. Brown the beef;

  3. Cook off the curry paste – releases amazing flavour!

  4. Add everything else in and slow cook until the beef is ultra tender.

An interesting cooking method with Beef Rendang is the way it gets the deep brown colour. All throughout the video, right up until the very end, you will notice that the sauce is a pale brown colour. It’s not until the very end when the sauce reduces right down and the oil separates that it turns brown, essentially the browning of the beef in the oil of the sauce.

The King of all Curries, Beef Rendang is straight forward to make and has incredible deep, complex flavours. Quick recipe video provided! recipetineats.com

This Beef Rendang can be made in a slow cooker, but I find it easiest to make it all on the stove. Especially given it starts on the stove with the browning of the beef and spice paste, then finishes on the stove with the reducing of the sauce and browning of the beef (this part cannot be done in a slow cooker).

This is one of those recipes that just gets better with time. So whenever possible, I try to make this a day or two in advance. It also freezes extremely well.

I serve this with my Restaurant Style Coconut Rice because it’s my copycat of the coconut rice you get at the posh modern Asian restaurants! – Nagi xx

PS You see those bits stuck on the  beef that could be shredded coconut?? It’s not. It’s bits of shredded BEEF. Because it’s so tender by the end, when you’re stirring it, some bits do flake off. YUM!

MORE GREAT CURRIES OF THE WORLD!

 

The King of all Curries, Beef Rendang is straight forward to make and has incredible deep, complex flavours. Quick recipe video provided! recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Beef Rendang recipe video!

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The King of all Curries, Beef Rendang is straight forward to make and has incredible deep, complex flavours. Quick recipe video provided! recipetineats.com

Beef Rendang

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 20 minutes
Curry, Slow cooking
Asian, Malaysian
4.98 from 215 votes
Servings6
Tap or hover to scale
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RECIPE VIDEO above. Beef Rendang is a Malaysian curry and is an extravagantly rich dish that is easy to prepare but takes time and patience to slow cook. Unlike many curries, this is a "dry" curry which means the beef is not swimming in sauce. Though you may think that the sauce is often the best part of a curry, the beef is "fall apart at a touch" tender and covered in a thick, saucy curry which then mixes through the rice so it is not in the least bit "dry"! This can be made in a slow cooker (see notes) but I recommend making this on the stove for best results.

Ingredients

Spice Paste

  • 12 dried chilies, rehydrated in boiling water, or 12 large fresh (Note 1a)
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (Note 1b)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, sliced (Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh galangal, finely chopped (Note 3)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola or peanut oil)

Curry

  • 2 lb/ 1 kg chuck steak, or other slow cooking beef, cut into 4cm / 1.6″ cubes (Note 4)
  • 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut, canola)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 tsp clove powder
  • 3 star anise
  • 1/2 tsp cardamon powder
  • 1 lemongrass stick, bottom half of the stick only and smashed (Note 5)
  • 400ml / 14 oz coconut milk (1 standard can)
  • 2 tsp tamarind puree / paste, or tamarind pulp soaked in 1 tbsp of hot water, seeds removed (Note 6)
  • 4 large kaffir lime leaves (or 6 small) , very finely sliced (Note 7)
  • 1/3 cup desiccated coconut (finely shredded coconut)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar or grated palm sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Place Spice Paste ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until fine. NOTE: If using dried chilli and you know your food processor is not that powerful, chop the chilli first.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add half the beef and brown, then remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
  • Lower heat to medium low. Add Spice Paste and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until the wetness has reduced and the spice paste darkens (don’t breathe in too much, the chilli will make you cough!).
  • Add remaining Curry ingredients and beef. Stir to combine.
  • Bring to simmer, then immediately turn down the heat to low or medium low so the sauce is bubbling very gently.
  • Put the lid on the pot and leave it to simmer for 1 hr 15 minutes.
  • Remove lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. You don’t want it to be “fall apart at a touch” at this stage, but it should be quite tender. If it is fall apart already, remove the beef from the pot before proceeding.
  • Turn up heat to medium and reduce sauce for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring every now and then at first, then frequently towards the end until the beef browns and the sauce reduces to a paste that coats the beef. (Note 9) 
  • The beef should now be very tender, fall apart at a touch. If not, add a splash of water and keep cooking. Remove from heat and serve with plain or Restaurant Style Coconut Rice.

Recipe Notes:

1a. Chillies – 12 dried chillies or long red fresh chillies (cayenne pepper) (seeds in) makes a fairly spicy curry but it’s not “blow your head off” spicy because the long cook time tempers the spiciness. You can adjust the level of spiciness to your taste – use 6 for a mild curry. To reduce spiciness, you can deseed the chilli – I do not do this. 
If using dried chillies, rehydrate in boiling water (use lots, ignore the measly splash I used in the video, that was a mistake).
1b. Onion: Use a brown, white or yellow onion about the size of a tennis ball. Or half a large one  or 6 shallots/eschallots chopped
2. Lemongrass: to prepare, peel the reedy green shell to reveal the softer white part on the bottom half of the lemongrass. Slice the white part and very pale green part only – the green part is too reedy.
If lemongrass is hard to come by, you can use PASTE: 2 tsp in the spice mix and add an extra teaspoon when you add the coconut milk etc. 🙂
3. Galangal is like ginger but it has a more sour and peppery flavour. If you can’t find it, just substitute with more ginger and a grind of black pepper.
4. 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.
It is best to buy one piece and cut it yourself into large cubes about the size of golf balls. Larger cubes are better for this dish because this is not only slow cooked but also cooked down to reduce the sauce to almost a “paste” like consistency and if you use small pieces of beef, they may fall apart and shred in the pot when you stir the curry. It is much easier to handle larger pieces.
5. Smash the lemongrass to help the flavour infuse into the curry. Use the side of your knife, a meat mallet or a tin.
6. Tamarind puree is made from tamarind fruit. It is quite tart, but not as sour as lemon. You can buy tamarind puree from the Asian section of large supermarkets in Australia (or Asian grocery stores). If you are using tamarind pulp (sticky block of dried tamarind), soak it in 2 tbsp of hot water and remove the seeds, then use as per recipe directions.
You can substitute the tamarind with 2 tsp of vinegar (white or brown, but not balsamic) or lemon juice.
7. Kaffir Lime Leaves – there is no substitute for the earthy lime flavour you get from fresh kaffir lime leaves so I really recommend buying fresh ones. They freeze well and last for ages and are commonly found in many South East Asian dishes. You can substitute with dried kaffir lime leaves. As a last resort, you can use 1 tbsp of lime juice + the rind of 1 lime, but the flavour will not be quite the same.
8. Slow Cooker – To make this in a slow cooker, do the steps up to searing the beef in a pan then pour the contents in your slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup water into the pan and bring to simmer, making sure to scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan to mix in with the water, then pour the water into the slow cooker (make sure you scrape in as much of the brown bits as you can!). Slow cook on low for 6 hours. Then pour the curry into a pot and follow the recipe steps to reduce the sauce.
Pressure cooker / instant pot – follow slow cooker steps but cook on high for 30 minutes, allow to depressurise naturally for 10 minutes before releasing steam.
9. This is what happens when the Sauce reduces: Once the sauce reduces right down, the oil will separate (see photo in post). Then you end up browning the beef in that oil – this is where the deep brown Rendang colour comes from. Rendang is not a wet, saucy curry, it all reduces down into a sticky paste that coats the beef. 
By this time, the beef should be “fall apart at a touch” and there will be bits of shredded beef that looks like coconut that stick to the beef.
10. Simple Lightly Pickled Cucumber Side that goes with this well: Slice cucumbers on the diagonal and place into a bowl. For each cucumber you are using, sprinkle over 1 tsp of rice wine vinegar, a small pinch of salt and white sugar (each). Leave to lightly pickle for at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
11. STORING: Rendang, like other slow cooked things, just gets better with time. Great on the day it’s made, fantastic the next day and the next. Freezes well too.
12. Originally published in November 2014, updated to improve as follows: original recipe used whole cardamon and cloves, these are impossible to pick out and I don’t like crunching into them. So I now use powder. Also, in authentic recipes, the curry paste goes in first then the beef is added. Doing it this way, the beef does not brown. I like browning beef first because you get that gorgeous caramelisation that adds flavour.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 323gCalories: 675cal (34%)Carbohydrates: 10.9g (4%)Protein: 63.4g (127%)Fat: 42.1g (65%)Saturated Fat: 24.7g (154%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 17.4gCholesterol: 179mg (60%)Sodium: 847mg (37%)Fiber: 3.1g (13%)Sugar: 5.4g (6%)
Keywords: beef rendang
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

 

 

LIFE OF DOZER

Dozer’s got a boo boo. i.e. Shredded his paw by tearing manically across a bed of oyster shells in pursuit of a pelican.

Let’s not feel too sorry for him though. He’s been pretty pampered.

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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636 Comments

  1. Marlene says

    Oh, boy, Nagi. Mr. Fussy is excited for me to try this soon! We love curries, and this one is unique for us. I’ll be up near the Asian markets next week so will make a point to get the fresh kaffir lime leaves, and curry leaves, too. I will, of course, report back. PS: I feel your pain! I once was blithely walking through a grocery parking lot, happy as can be, when I tripped over one of those low concrete dividers. Like you, my hands broke my fall, luckily, or I’d have broken a nose or tooth for sure. You can be sure that I look where I’m going now! Poor Dozer…he and you both have sore paws! Hugs to all.

    Reply

    • Marlene says

      Also, is there a particular type of red chile to use? Here in SoCal we have many different kinds, and i always wonder whenever I see red chiles listed as an ingredient.

      Reply

      • Nagi says

        You’re LUCKY! Cayenne pepper is what we have as our standard large red chillies here! If you are worried about spiciness, drop down to 6 🙂

        Reply

        • Marlene says

          5 stars
          I made this last week, Nagi, using ground chilies I bought at an Indian market. I had to guess at the amount to use but Mr. Fussy said it was perfectly spiced. It does take a while to make, but the taste is wonderful. I only had dried kaffir lime leaves, so I rehydrated them and doubled the amount. I wish I’d made it far enough ahead of time to let the fat solidify. Even though I trimmed the meat well it was a bit fatty for my taste–which may be why Mr. F loved it so much! It is very rich tasting, and we have enough left over for two more dinners and a lunch! I might try with a different cut of stew beef or lamb next time.

          Reply

          • Nagi says

            Oh Marlene! I am SO flattered you tried this, and so pleased Mr F enjoyed it!!! 😂

    • Nagi says

      Oooh aren’t fresh curry leaves just the BEST!!! 🙂 N xx

      Reply

  2. Lora says

    Not gonna lie….I was drooling at the first pic…I love curry of all kinds…..and now for a trip to the store…… 🙂

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!!!! PS If you live in Aus, seriously, you will find everything at Woolies. Or Harris Farms (if you’re in Sydney or Brisbane) <3

      Reply

  3. Viji says

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    Readang is Malaysian and it yummy done in an earthen ware like a large clay pot. This taste yummiest.
    I use this clay pot whenever I cooked readang in Germany during summer time in my garden.
    Japanese ceramic pot is also recommended here.
    To highlight it taste better when cooking with charcoal… This why I love to cook Rendang during summer time mostly.
    Also there are variations of rendangs.
    Rendang is the popular dish during Hari Raya. Rendang is often served with rice parcel besides coconut rice and baguette and any other bread.

    Keep on sharing Nagi.

    Regards Mrs.Reitberger

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Thank you for the wonderful insight Viji! It was interesting when I was reading the background of Rendang, there are suggestions that it actually originated in Indonesia but now it’s more known as a Malay dish. I love the ceramic pot tip! N xx

      Reply

  4. Lynne says

    Slowly moving introducing my kids to spicy food. I only have chillie in a tube from the super market at the moment. Would that do and if so how much For very mild curry. He mild can you go while still retaining the flavour?

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Lynne! Don’t worry, you can go very mild. 🙂 To be really safe, you could go down to 2 teaspoons but I’m pretty sure even 1 tbsp will be fine because honestly, it always amazes me how much spiciness is lost with the long cook time. 🙂

      Reply

  5. Sheri says

    Thank you Nagi! This recipe looks amazing!

    Sorry you had a bad day! Know how you feel, I’m the queen of falling.
    I take a flop every couple of months or so. Once it happened so fast, I didn’t even put my hands out and landed on my chin. But that was on ice. We have a lot in New Jersey here in the USA. Bet I’m a bigger klutz than you! LOL!

    Hope Dozer feels better! Have a great weekend! : )

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      BA HA HA! Lovely to hear from a fellow klutz! We stand united! PS I would be a wreak if we had snow here.

      Reply

  6. Kay Hancock says

    Will light coconut milk taste the same?

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Kay! The taste will be similar but it will not be quite as rich 🙂 Great option to reduce some calories!

      Reply

  7. Kay Hancock says

    Made this today. I used 5 long chillis and it had a kick. Fried shallots and thinly sliced chillis to serve as a garnish with chopped corianderfried these during curry preparation andput them in low oven when warming platessc just before serving. Cooked in slow cooker for 4 hours ended up transferring it to a wok. In future will not bother slow cooking oven top cooking is best. The cardamon powder would be better then you don’t have to pick them out. I paid £14 for this dish recently in a restaurant and this was as nice. They served it with thin flat rice stick noodles which is an alternative to rice. I served it with plain white rice. Delicious Thankyou.

    Reply

    • Kay Hancock says

      TIP wear disposable gloves when deseeding and cutting chillis to avoid burning hands

      Reply

      • Rich Prior says

        And apparently for Nagi, anyway the gloves would help just getting out of the car! Sorry Nagi, had to zing you for that one, hope your weekend has less mishaps for you and Dozer.

        Rich in Canada

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          I WISH I had rubber gloves on yesterday. 😂

          Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Kay! I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this! It’s funny you mention about using powder instead, it’s the annoyance I’ve always had with this recipe but having said that, the pods do provide a better flavour I find. So I’m actually experimenting with this recipe to tweak it to make using cardamon and clove powder instead 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  8. Kay Hancock says

    Hi what is best way to reheat it please

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I microwave it! 🙂

      Reply

      • Kay Hancock says

        Thankyou will not have to reheat eaten between 3 hungry people today. I am going to prepare a day or two before next time. Do you reheat the whole bowl of curry in the microwave?

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          Hi Kay! That’s what I do because this curry doesn’t have sauce like other ones so I find it a bit more difficult to reheat on the stove 🙂

          Reply

  9. mel says

    This sounds wonderful! Lemongrass a little hard to come by but do have lemongrass paste in the tube. Think that would work ? If so, how much?

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Mel! That should be ok, I would use 2 tsp in the spice mix and 1 tsp in the sauce 🙂

      Reply

    • Kay Hancock says

      I paid 1.40 for 4 sticks of lemongrass from Asda the other day

      Reply

  10. Lisa says

    5 stars
    Hi,

    Thank you for the recipe – it tasted amazing!

    Just a quick question – is there an easy way to remove the items such as star anise and pods ect? As the leaves etc aren’t nice to eat and difficult to remove!

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Lisa! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this! I love your question, I literally made this a week ago to try to counteract that problem myself. Stay tuned! Recipe video and extra tips to avoid that problem coming soon!

      Reply

  11. Sally says

    when do you add the coconut milk? I can’t find mention of it in the instructions part of the recipe!

    Reply

    • Sally says

      oops i just realised i missed the line “add remaining ingredients” facepalm

      Reply

      • Nagi says

        Can’t tell you how many times I have those moments every single day Sally! PS And guess what, I’m actually making and filming this recipe RIGHT NOW! No joke, it’s on the stove, simmering away. Republishing soon with the video! N xx

        Reply

  12. Jeni says

    I’m making tis right now my only query is how to get the beef really brown without burning the paste, should the bulk of the paste be remove while browning the meat ? I can’t wait to try it after these reviews.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Jeni! Try turning the heat down, I know what you mean because when I made this in my cast iron pot, I had the same problem 🙂 I will repost this recipe soon with a video, it’s a personal favourite! I think a video will help with the steps. N xx

      Reply

  13. Peter says

    Hi. This sounds great, Just one puzzle for me. The recipe calls for 3 star anise. Is that complete stars or 3 of the seeds? I find if I make a casserole, if I use 2 or 3 seeds they give plenty of flavour. Looking forward to making this. I am sure it will be super tasty like all of your recipes I have tried.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Peter! I mean 3 whole star anises – you can see them in the photo. 🙂 Hope that helps! I never thought of using just the seeds??

      Reply

  14. Wendy says

    I made this last night for friends using double the quantity and it was magnificent – delicious depth of flavours and wonderful easy to follow instructions. Thanks Nagi – your work is superb.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Wow, thanks for the compliment Wendy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x

      Reply

  15. Darren Hughes says

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing recipe made it for my wife who thought it was fantastic

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I’m so pleased to hear that Darren! Thanks for letting me know! N x

      Reply

      • kay says

        Hi can I use the reduced fat coconut milk. Does it taste better if you cook day before and reheat. For 2 people do I halve ingredients thanks for the recipe

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          Hi Kay! Yes it’s even better reheated! Reduced fat won’t be quite the same but it will still be delish!

          Reply

      • Kay says

        Hi can you make it with the boxed packaged dessicated coconut

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          Hi Kay – this recipe does call for desiccated coconut as well as milk 🙂

          Reply

      • Kay says

        Hi can I use tamarind paste instead of Tamarind puree. Do I use same amount please. Love your recipes

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          Hi Kay! Paste will be fine 🙂

          Reply

  16. Jemayma says

    Hello Nagi,me again?..i forgot to get cloves yesterday,and got tons of cardamon and star anise?..do you think i can replace the cloves with any of those?(its half term break of the kids this week,so my families and friends coming this weekend for this)?…hope to hear from you soon xxx

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Jemayma! I think if you add a little bit more cardamon it will sort of make up for it! Don’t worry, it will still be yum, promise 🙂

      Reply

      • Jemayma says

        5 stars
        Hello Nagi,this recipe was incredible. The mat was so tender and ummmmm yum,really yum. Every enjoyed it. Definitely gonna cook again this soon.. thanks again xxx

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          Fantastic to hear Jemayma! So glad you enjoyed it! N xx

          Reply

  17. Chris says

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for the great recipe and directions.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it Chris! Thank you for letting me know! N xx

      Reply

  18. REbecca says

    5 stars
    Hi – we made this for a dinner party for 10. Doubled the recipe and it was amazing!!!!! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      It’s so wonderful to hear you enjoyed it Rebecca, thank you for letting me know!! N x

      Reply

  19. Mary says

    Planning an Indian meal. I know this is Malaysian, would it work ?
    Looking for a beef dish.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Definitely, it will be at home for an Indian meal!

      Reply

  20. elizabeth olcott says

    Nagi, I want to make this with chicken. I love the spices in your beef recipe (so good!). I have checked out other sites but they do not use cardamon, cloves or star anise. Can I just change this to chicken or am I missing something.

    No hurry!

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Elizabeth! To be honest, I can’t imagine rendang without cardamon, cloves or star anise. I feel like they are all key to the flavour base of rendang! And yes you can change this to chicken 🙂 The cook time will be shorter and I would use large chicken pieces with the bone in, not cubed otherwise they will cook too quickly. And if the chicken becomes super tender before the curry sauce reduces, just take the chicken out then return to the sauce later!

      Reply