ellen@ucla-cs.UUCP (07/27/84)
BEEF RENDANG IS NOT INDIAN!!! It IS INDONESIAN, specifically it is of the
people of the Padang region of the island of Sumatra, known as Minangkabau.
Here is my recipe. Don't recall how it compares to Brissenden's, but i have
had some Padang input.
RENDANG DAGING - for 4 people
NOTE: Padangs would probably make this hotter, tho' not necessarily. More
chili paste, that is, sambal can be added by the diner at the table. Some
ingredients are probably impossible to get in America, but i include them for
culinary interest (they are noted).
1 tsp. + dried chilis or 4 c. coconut milk (equal parts warm
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. sambal ulek water and dried grated coconut-
2 to 6 cloves garlic (your choice) blenderize, then strain - wring out
2 medium onions the coconut WELL with your hands -
2" fresh ginger then throw the coconut away, it has
3/4 tsp. turmeric no taste left)
1 tsp. laos powder (available) 2 lbs. beef, in 1"X2" pieces
1/2 tsp. ground peppercorns 1/2 c. tamarind liquid
2 tsp. salt (a walnut sized lump of tamarind
1 Tb. ground coriander seed pulp dissolved in 1/2 c. warm
2 daun jeruk purut (available) water, then strain to remove seeds
2 daun kunyit = turmeric leaves and fibers, OR dissolve 1 tsp. of
(probably not available unless tamarind concentrate in the water)
you've got Padang friends)
1 stalk lemon grass (available)
Grind together in a blender the chili, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, laos,
pepper, salt, and coriander. Mix with the coconut milk, adding the citrus
leaves, turmeric leaves, and lemon grass. Bring to a boil. Add the beef.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring in tamarind liquid. Cook until
almost dry. If you like sauce, then eat it while still moist. It isn't
Rendang, it is Kalio. For rendang, continue cooking until dry and the oil
comes out. The whole process takes about 3 hours - but you only have to
watch it during the last 1/2 hour, when it must be stirred often to prevent
burning. The meat browns nicely, but American beef is so tender, it almost
falls apart. Indonesians usually cook water buffalo - the flavor isn't much
different, but remember, those animals were working in the fields before they
reached the table, and their muscles are STRONG (or do i mean, TOUGH).
Eat with long grain white rice, sambals (buy them in jars), and vegetables -
the Padang like cabbage cooked with chili, onions, garlic, a pinch of turmeric,
and a teeny bit of trasi = shrimp paste (kapi in Thai) in coconut milk.
You could include string beans, corn kernels, and even snow peas, and potatoes
in tiny cubes if you like them.