Lamb Rendang for Noobs
Not my first time testing this recipe BUT the only time this has turned out right! “Right” is subjective because there are just sooo many different types of rendang out there that it is hard for me to say which kind feels right for me.
This is “right” because I taste the aromats blended in the gravy and it’s nothing close to a curry (hate it when people serve curry and call it rendang!), it is a little coconutty, sweet, spicy and tangy and most importantly, meat is tender when you use three fingers to easily tear it apart.
I cannot even bring myself to recollect the past 2 failed attempts as lamb rendang is a very very expensive experiment to undertake!
Ok moving forward, I think this recipe works well for both lamb and mutton. Even more so if you are using an instant pot/multicooker’s pressure cooking mode to cook the meat till tender. To cook it down, I transferred to a cast iron wok as it might have taken forever or never using the multicooker.
Ingredients:
500g boneless lamb/mutton, cut into large cubes 1 stick cinnamon 2 cloves 2 star anise 2 cardamom pods 3 lemongrass, green stem pounded 1 cup coconut cream 1/3 cup water 3 asam keping, deseeded and soaked in some warm water 6 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced 100g toasted coconut Gula Melaka to taste Olive oil as required Himalayan Pink salt as required
Rempah:
3 medium onions 1 inch galangal 1 inch young ginger 3 lemongrass, white stem 5 cloves garlic 12 dried chilies, soaked in warm water
All ingredients are available at Tekka Market. I got lamb from N. Kanesan Mutton Dealers.
I usually drop them a WhatsApp message to place my order and to seek their expert advice. When I head over for collection, I shop for fresh ingredients at Chia’s Vegetable Supply. I didn’t take note of the name of the stall selling freshly grated coconut and asam keping but it’s located the lane behind Kanesan’s and in between Kanesan’s and Chia’s.
Method:
Chop the rempah’s ingredients and then blend it till smooth.
Heat oil in a cast iron pot or in a multicooker under the saute mode, add the cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Following this, add most of the kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.
Add the lamb/mutton and brown a little. Add the rempah paste, coconut cream, water, asam, Gula Melaka, salt and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked. If using a multicooker, switch to pressure cooker mode and cook for 30mins.
Add the toasted coconut and stir to blend well with the meat. At this point the gravy will start to darken and thicken.
Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer till the meat is tender and the gravy has dried up. If using a multicooker, transfer to a cast iron pot or wok and thicken gravy over the stove - this is the most efficient method. Add more salt and Gula Melaka to taste. Throw in remaining kaffir lime leaves.
Serve with steamed rice or Nasi Lemak! Helper B had it with steamed white rice. She licked the plate clean after her first taste of my most favorite traditional Indo delight!
Recipe adapted from https://rasamalaysia.com/beef-rendang-recipe-rendang-daging/
