FOODIE WEEKEND - Chicken Rendang

Hello, dearest readers!  Welcome to another addition of Foodie Weekend!

A while back I received a few requests from a few regular readers for a recipe of Rendang. Rendang is a traditional Malay pasty spicy dish that uses Asian spices like star anise, cardamom and cinnamon (you can refer to this post  for pictures of these spices) and a lot of coconut and its milk which gives Rendang its delicate flavor.  Unlike curry, Rendang's unique taste comes from the 'kerisik', the roasted/dry fried shredded coconut.  The kerisik is an essential ingredients in making the Rendang and thankfully, it can easily be made at home.

Rendang is said to be originated from Sumatra, among the Malays of Minagkabau. In Malaysia, Rendang is typically the star of the dinning tables in the Malay homes during Eid, a celebration that marks the end of Ramadhan or as one of the condiments for the typical Malay wedding feast  and can be either with chicken or beef.  It normally goes with rice cakes or 'ketupat' or 'lemang' which is coconut milk soaked sticky rice cooked in bamboo stick. Sounds exotic isn't it? Indeed it is! 

I personally prefer beef Rendang but for this post I prepared the one with chicken instead. Please feel free to write me if you have any questions on any of the ingredients or method of preparing and good luck in trying this fabulous dish!

CHICKEN RENDANG

Ingredients (serves 6)

Rendang paste (ponded or dry blend)

2 stalks of lemon grass

1 large red onion or 8 shallots

2 inches of galangal

1 inch of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 inch of fresh turmeric or 1 tsp of turmeric powder 

Other ingredients

2 tbsp cooking oil

4 star anise pods

8 cardamom pods

About 5 inches of cinnamon stick

8 cloves

1 kg of chicken breast (or with bones if preferred) OR beef (topside)

milk/cream of 1 coconut (or 1.5 can)

4 pieces of kafir lime leaves

2 pieces of turmeric leaves

2 tablespoon of thick tamarind juice

salt and sugar to taste
'kerisik' (grated flesh of 1/2 coconut, dry fried or toasted till bronze and 

pounded until a little pasty and oily)

Method

Heat the oil in a wok and once hot, add the whole aromatic spices – star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and fry for 1 minute.

Add the Rendang paste and fry till the colour darkens. Add the meat/chicken stirring well into to the paste for 3 or 4 minutes

Tear up the turmeric leaves and kafir lime leaves and add to the mixture, stirring them in.

Pour in the coconut milk and stir into the mixture and add 2 tablespoons of tamarind juice.

Add salt and sugar to taste and leave to simmer slowly for 45 minutes (or 1-1.5 hours for beef) until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.

Add the pounded toasted coconut and stir into the mixture to soak up the remaining juices. The result should be quite dry and pasty yet incredibly tender and flavorsome! 

Serve with steamed white rice or glutinous rice.