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!
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!
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!
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:
Blitz curry paste ingredient in food processor;
Brown the beef;
Cook off the curry paste – releases amazing flavour!
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.
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!
- Biryani (it’s amazing!)
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Dal (Indian lentil curry)
- Thai Red Curry
- Massaman Curry
- Browse the Curry Collection
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Beef Rendang recipe video!
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Beef Rendang
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:
Nutrition Information:
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.
I just got back from Bali and was dreaming of an authentic beef rendang. This was unreal – so fragrant and flavoursome. Thank you for the recipe – I will be making it again!!
I’m so glad you loved it Rebekah!
Hi there! I’m about to try making this and wondered if I could cook this in the oven, in a cast iron pot with the lid on first, then lid off to dry out the sauce?
I made this tonight and it was very well received! The flavours are beautiful. Now we can have rendang even when we’re not in Bali. Thank you for the recipe!
Wahoo! Thanks Rory!
Divine. Superb
Thanks so much Michelle!
Hi Nagi, I have made many dishes from your website. Your instructions are so clear, videos are great and everything works out so well. However I made the beef rendang yesterday. I have been looking at a few recipes and kept coming back to yours as it was from a malaysian person I believe. I was a bit nervous as my husband is Malaysian but I really wanted to make rendang. Well – it was delicious. Superb. He even used the word authentic ! Thank you, thank you. ps, I chickened out over the 12 dried chillis (as was feeding 4 kids too) and opted for 8. Perfect heat for my lot.
Woah that’s such a great compliment Michelle!!
Have made this twice now for extended family and friend lunches. I followed the recipe exactly but only use 6 instead of 12 chillis which is a good middle ground heat level to please a crowd’s varying tastes. The first time I accidentally used double the kaffir lime leaf quantities because I counted the “double” leaves as singles. The curry was great but slightly more tangy than you might expect. I have also made the accompanying coconut rice 3 times now. Both recipes are excellent and enhance my culinary reputation! Thank you.
Thanks so much Rebecca!
First time attempting rendang and this recipe is solid. Only used half the amount of chillies to see how much heat there would be. I’ll be using more next time. Housemates rated it too.
That’s great Bonnee!
HI Nagi,
I am half way through this recipe and the beef still seems really tough even though I am using Chuck steak. Should I just cook it a bit longer?
Hi Hannah, sorry for the late reply, yes just keep cooking until it starts to break down – N x
I’ve been meaning to return and comment since first using this recipe, I am going to do it again tomorrow.
It is, simply, the best guide to rendang I have used. I have happily paid for rendang at restaurants where the quality is below this product.
I left the cloves & cardamom whole because that’s my preference, otherwise I followed the recipe fully, using aged chuck steak.
Fantastic and thank you
That’s so great to hear Johno, thanks for the feedback!
Absolutely awesome. Incredible flavours, aromas and texture. Highly recommend
Thanks so much Harry!
When you make curry you use curry powder. Yet I see none in the recipe.???
Hi Dave, not sure what you mean, there’s no curry powder in this recipe – N x
This was so delicious! Full of flavour and beef was oh so tender. Question on coconut milk, I noticed the brands vary greatly in terms of coconut extract. From 50% through to 90% and they’re all called premium coconut milk (not light either). Which brand do you normally use?
Hi Linda, I usually use Ayam ☺️
It has taken me a number of trips to try and find the ingredients but tonight, so worth it!!! This was amazing, thank you!!! Exactly what we needed on a chilly night and although a lot of notes to the recipe, very easy to follow and so much better than take out.
Wahoo, I’m so glad you gave it a go, yes a few steps but SOOOOO worth it in my opinion! – N x
This recipe looks so delicious! What veggie dish would you recommend pairing it with?
Hi Linda, I paired it with Sri Lankan carrot sambol, perfect match
Hi Linda, I usually serve this with coconut rice and steamed Asian greens ❤️
Really nice curry, totally unlike anything I have had before. Partner loved it and my 10yr old also tasted a bit and said it was really good so he can join us with the leftovers, I just initially thought it would be too spicy for him but it was just right.
Tbh everything I have ever made from this website tastes sooo good. Nagi knows her food that’s for sure.
Woah he has great taste! Thanks so much for the great feedback Charlotte!
For so long now I have been wanting to make this and have been buying up all the ingredients yet the Kaffir Lime Leaves are causing me grief – cannot find these anywhere and i take your comments re this ingredient very seriously so if you could point me in the right direction of where i could find these I would be so appreciative and then i can get this baby cooking….
I love your enthusiasm Maryanna! We can buy them here in major supermarkets or green grocers. If you can’t use my last resort of 1 tbsp of lime juice + the rind of 1 lime – N x
Found them and this was to die for…amazing. Thank you for yet another winner and for all the extra kilos x
Hi Nagi, Love your site, thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I’m making this recipe for a friend who can’t eat onion or eshallots. Do you think I could use leeks as a substitution?
Hi Nagi, could this be made with lamb instead of beef?
Slightly different flavour but it would be great with lamb!
Hey Nagi, I have a load of oxtail in my freezer. Would this work ok – should I cut the beef from the bone do you think? I was thinking of this recipe then I could reserve the bones for making a proper stock for once in my life 🙂
That sounds great Jason! You could either leave it on or take it off the bone.
I tried it with my oxtail(bone in, great advice), and although the taste was great, I wished id spent a bit more time trimming the fat off – bit difficult later in this dish once it’s rendered. The meat though is spot on. Tip for me, or future person, trim as much fat as you can off but keep on the bone. 👍
Hi how much water do you add when cooking in pressure cooker?
Hi Kelly, I have pressure cooker directions in the recipe notes ☺️