Beef Rendang

This yummy Beef Rendang is one of my favourite Malay dishes, and it is one dish that I have to order whenever I have Nasi Padang back home in Singapore. It goes well with steamed rice and a simple vegetable dish like stirfried cabbage and carrots. You can cook this one day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.. and oh my.. the taste is even better the next day =)

Ingredients

570g coconut, white

605g beef brisket or topside

Ingredients A

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp msg (I did not add this)

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsps tamarind, remove seeds

Ingredients B

1 tumeric leaf

2 lime leaves

1 stalk lemon, bashed

1 thick slice galangal

Ingredients C (ground to a fine paste)

6 fresh red chillies

14 dried chillies

30g ginger

1 stalk lemon grass

2 thin slices galangal

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs fried coconut

Ingredients D

1 - 1 1/2 tbs palm sugar

1 level tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp msg (I did not add this)

2 tsp dark soya sauce

Method

1. Dry-fry 115g of the coconut till dark brown. Cool.

2. Season beef with Ingredients A and dry coconut and leave for 2 hours.

3. Squeeze remaining coconut for thick coconut milk. Set aside. Add 225ml water and squeeze for diluted coconut milk. Set aside.

4. Combine Ingredients B, C and D in a saucepan. Add diluted coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add meat and boil, uncovered, over moderately high heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

5. Add thick coconut milk and stir well. Reduce heat, cover pan and cook for 3/4  - 1 hour till gravy mixture turns oily and fragrant.

Recipe source : "The Best of Singapore Cooking" by Mrs Leong Yee Soo