I saw some really nice beef chuck steaks in the supermarket and decided to make beef rendang for dinner since the husband has been requesting for it for the longest time. And as usual, I’d try to substitute coconut milk with a healthier alternative of low fat evaporated milk. Of course, if you want the taste of real good beef rendang, stick with freshly squeezed coconut milk instead of packet coconut cream. There is a vast difference in taste between them.
Beef Rendang Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2-3)
350g beef chuck steak, cut into cubes
1 thumb-size ginger, roughly sliced
6 cloves garlic
1 big red onion, roughly sliced
2 red chillies, roughly sliced
2 stalks lemongrass (use the white parts only), bruised
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup evaporated milk (or coconut milk)
1 tbsp palm sugar
tamarind juice (mix 1 tsp tamarind with 3 tbsp hot water, discard the seeds)
fish sauce or salt to taste
Instructions
1. Using a food processor, blend the ginger, garlic, onion, chillies, turmeric, cumin and coriander into a paste.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pot and fry the paste till fragrant.
3. Add the beef and lemongrass and stir fry till the meat is no longer pink. Add water, evaporated milk, palm sugar and tamarind juice.
4. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the beef simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours till the meat is tender. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
5. Add fish sauce (or salt) and extra sugar (if necessary) to taste. Serve with steamed rice.
Normally, if I use my Happy Call Pan, I can reduce the cooking time to an hour but as this rendang is cooked in a normal stewing pot, I have to extend the simmering time for the beef cubes to be soft so the meat splits apart easily. The gravy is full of robust flavours from all the aromatics and goes very well with steamed white rice. Enjoy!