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.
Thank you so much, Nagi!
I never had the chance to “get to know you” until today, but I have been cooking the BEST Beef Rendang EVER since 2018, thanks to your Beef Rendang recipe! It’s a treat to make, and a beautiful exercise in patience, too.
Thank You Lord God for Nagi and her yummilicious recipes!
Thank you, Nagi, for sharing your talents through your recipes.
Your Beef Rendang recipe is ALWAYS a delight to make!
Hi. I’d love to know how important the wholemeal flour for these crackers are? 😊
Thanks
Unbelievable amazing curry! This is the best rendang recipe I have ever made. My guests are in for a real treat!
Another magnificent recipe. As hearty as it is staggering by way of those spices combined.. thank you.
I tried this recipe for dinner today – Jan 1, 22 and it just turned out finger licking good ! Nagi you have outlined every single step of the recipe so explicitly making it easy to follow. Our family absolutely loved it ! Thank you Nagi.
I am so glad you enjoyed it Charmaine! N x
I made this beef rendang recipe with beef cheeks, added 4 fresh chillies, and honestly, the depth of flavour was amazing! My husband likes it with a bit more sauce so I did not simmer it down till it was dry. Absolutely delicious!
Hi Nagi,
Making Rendang for Christmas lunch. You and your recipes are refreshing and lovely. Thanks very much.
Fabulous recipe. Thanks Nagi
Can tamarind be omitted? Or can it be substituted for something else?
Can tamarind be omitted? Or can it be substituted with anything else?
Hi Nadgi. This I believe is a question everyone asked, but I’d like your opinion, particularly to your beef rendang curry. I have my own kaffir lime plant growing. The leaves as most might know are doubled. When you say 4 lime leaves, does that mean 4 doubles or halves? I have pondered over this for some time now, but never really been given an answer. At least I would like to know how you use it. Really looking forward to hearing back from you on this. Thanks in advance
Hi Robyn – it is 4 single leaves! N x
Thanks for clarifying the kaffir lime leave question , and so promptly too 👍
Made this dish for a big camping trip, and premade the curry paste the night before. WOW! So much flavour and well worth the wait for it! Thanks for sharing this recipe I will be making this again!
Hello, maybe it’s me but I don’t see where to add the dessicated coconut to the beef. Do you want it to be raw at the end of the dish or toasted?
You add it at Step 4 with the other curry ingredients. N x
Thanks!
This such an amazing recipe! I’m Indonesian and this rendang is definitely authentic. I just added fish sauce to add more umami taste. Thanks Nagi!
That’s a great idea! At the end, I tossed a splash of Sombal, It was delightful!
What a lovely idea!
Hi Nagi
I meant to ask you if one can freeze the rendang paste?
Cheers.
Yes, I have tried freezing the spice paste when I made too much, and it was as delicious the next time I used the frozen spice paste
Everyone I know who has tasted it, loves this Beef Rendang recipe from Nagi 😋
I also prepare big batches of the ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, toasted desiccated coconuts and freeze them in separate containers, all ready for me to use whenever my husband craves for Beef Rendang
For macadamia nuts lovers, I also added ground macadamia nuts
(a little less amount than that of the toasted dessicated coconuts)
Being an Indonesian and very much familiar with this dish that was originally from Minang (Sumatra, Indonesia), you can by all means freeze up the rendang paste. It is not going to chance the flavor at all. FYI: this dish was made popular during war in Indonesia back in 40’s by the First Lady of the first president of Indonesia: Soekarno. At the time during war, that’s one of the few options of food that could be consumed with rice since it was a little dry and could last longer for soldiers and fighters who sometimes has to go to wooded areas to fight against enemies.
I wondered the same thing. I have frozen the curry before but it would be a great cost saver to freeze just the paste as you have to buy a large bag of galangal in the UK and I only use it for rendang 🙂
Thanks so much Nagi. It was outstanding. I cut down on the quantity of dried chillies from 12 to 6. It was still pretty fiery but all in all it was delicious. I made a vegetarian version. The vegetables I used were eggplant, potato and carrot which is all I had in the crisper. I guess I could have used other veges. Any suggestions? I also added tempeh. Also would I be able to freeze the paste if I made an extra quantity?
Many thanks once again!
Absolutely amazing, will definitely make again!
Hi Nagi
I’m not a fan of spicy food but would still like to cook this.
Can I omit the chilli in this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Roselle, I have made this recipe before without any chili’s and it was still delicious.
Great recipe and I’ve made it a few times. I substitute the salt with 2-3 tbsp of fish sauce. Probably not very authentic, but I love the depth of flavour it adds.
I luuurve Rendang but have always been scared of failure to cook it myself. But this was pretty easy once you had all the ingredients sorted and what else do I have to do in lockdown except cook lots of yummy-ness?! I accompanied this your coconut rice. And I’ll be first dibs on the leftovers tomorrow! Thanks Nagi! ❤️