Beef Rendang

• 10 g dried mild chillies (such as guajillo)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
• 2-inch piece galangal, chopped
• 2-inch piece ginger, chopped
• 8 cloves
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• 4 candlenuts
• 1½ lb (700 g) stewing beef (chuck or boneless short ribs), cut into chunks
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp kerisik (toasted ground coconut, made from 1/4 cup dried shredded coconut)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• fish sauce, to adjust seasoning (optional)

Method

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1. Make the kerisik: toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until dark brown, then grind it to an oily paste. 5:59
2. Grind the dried chillies, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise finely, then grind in the candlenuts. Blend the galangal, ginger, lemongrass, shallots and garlic with a little water, add the ground spices and blend to a paste. 0:43
3. Boil 1/2 cup of the coconut milk in a heavy pot, add the paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and the oil starts to separate. 2:57
4. Toss the beef in the paste, add the rest of the coconut milk, the salt and tamarind, and scrape up any paste from the bottom. 3:53
5. Cook loosely covered on low heat for 2½–3 hours until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick, stirring every 20 minutes at first and every few minutes near the end. Add water if it gets too dry. 4:46
6. In the last few minutes stir in 1 tbsp of the kerisik and the torn lime leaves. Taste and adjust with fish sauce if needed. 5:41

Tip. Serve with steamed rice and a green vegetable or cucumber salad. Rendang tastes even better the next day. It is rich in coconut fat, so keep portions modest.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.