Shared by Rose Benjamin
Shared by Rose Benjamin
Beef Rendang (Spicy Beef with Coconut Cream)
Yield: 4-6 servingsTime: 3 hours
Beef Rendang (Spicy Beef with Coconut Cream)
Yield: 4-6 servingsTime: 3 hoursFamily Journey
BaghdadBombay (present-day Mumbai)Singapore
Sydney
In Rose Benjamin’s family, Shabbat dinners often include beef rendang, chicken rice, laksa and other dishes from Southeast Asia. Her family comes from the close-knit 2,500-person Jewish community of Singapore, which has roots that stretch back to the 1800s. On both sides of her family, Rose is third generation Singaporean, but she now calls Sydney home. Still, the recipes remain. “Having lived in Singapore, how can you not cook or eat this food?” she asks.
Her beef rendang recipe is infused with fragrant aromatics like makrut lime leaves and lemongrass, and the beef simmers low and slow until fork tender. The base is thickened with the addition of candlenuts, which must be cooked before eating as the raw version is mildly toxic. If you can’t find candlenuts, substitute an equal amount of macadamia nuts.
Be sure to serve the beef rendang with jasmine rice to soak up all of the sauce.
Read more about Rose Benjamin's family in “The Flavors of Iraq, India, and Singapore Meet in This Jewish Kitchen” and try her recipes for red snapper arouk and quick pickled cucumber salad.
Ingredients
For the spice paste:
- 5 medium onions, peeled and quartered
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 candlenuts
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2-inch piece fresh galangal, sliced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 10-12 dried chilies, such as Chiles de Arbol (depending on your desired heat level)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 4 tablespoons tamarind paste, whisked with 1¼ cups warm water
For the stew:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 stalks lemongrass, tied together
- 6 makrut lime leaves
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck cubes
- 1½ cups coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, ground
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Put all of the spice paste ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an ‘S’ blade. Process into a fine paste.
Step 2
Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the ground spice paste to the pot and mix well to combine. Saute until aromatic, about 1 minute, then cover with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Step 3
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the lemongrass, makrut lime leaves and the beef chuck cubes. Stir consistently for 5 minutes, allowing the beef to absorb the flavors.
Step 4
Add the coconut cream, beef bouillon powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer on low heat so the sauce is bubbling very gently. Add more salt and sugar to taste if needed.
Step 5
Stir in 1-2 cups of boiling water, then continue to simmer, partially covered until the beef is meltingly tender and the rendang gravy has thickened, about 2 hours. Stir and add more water if needed to ensure the rendang doesn’t dry out.
Step 6
The sauce will start as a pale brown. Towards the end, as it reduces, the oil will begin to separate and the dish will darken. Once it reaches a dry, curry-like consistency, remove from heat and serve hot with rice.
Beef rendang can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator foe 3-4 days.
