Rendang, As Delicious Dish from Indonesia

Rendang

Rendang is one of traditional food that made from coconut milk and meat as main ingredient. Rendang is special food from West Sumatra Indonesia and rendang becomes popular food for all people in Indonesia. Besides that, making rendang also use coconut and mixture of other special ingredients, such as hot chili pepper, ginger plant, lemon grass, onion, and other special seasoning. In 2011, according to internet polling that involved 35.000 respondents that held by CNN international, rendang was awarded as number one dish in the list of World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods.

Actually, there are two types of rendang, dry and wet rendang. Dry rendang usually can be kept for 3 to 4 months and it can be used for special events and ceremonies. Besides, wet rendang, only can be consumed for 1 month. Rendang has honor position in the Minangkabau culture because rendang has philosophy itself for people in Minang, West Sumatra, named discussion that started from 4 main ingredients. Those are:

1. Meat, has symbol from Niniak Mamak (the leader of clan).
2. Coconut, has symbol as intellectual society.
3. Hot chili pepper, has symbol as religious man that represent spicy and straight to teach religion.
4. Seasoning, has symbol for all Minangkabau society.

However, rendang is not only exists in Indonesia, but also exist in Singapura and Malaysia. But, initially rendang came from Sumatra island, Indonesia especially Padang. And now, let starts cooking rendang.

Ingredients:

1. Meat of cow or buffalo, 1 kg (chop the meat becomes square into 20 pieces).
2. Orange leaves, 4
3. Bay leaves, 4
4. Lemongrass, 1
5. Thick coconut milk, 2 L from old big coconut

 Blended seasoning

1. Garlic, 2
2. Onion, 4
3. Ginger, 25 gram
4. Turmeric, 15 gram
5. Ginger plant, 75 gram
6. Hot chili pepper, 1 tablespoon (grind it or as you desired)
7. Nutmeg, ½ nutmeg
8. Candlenut, 4
9. Salt, ½ tablespoon
10. Sugar, 1 tablespoon

 How to Cook Rendang

1. Soak the meat in the seasoning for 1 hour.
2. Cook the coconut milk in the cooking pan with medium flame and stir it sometime until the oil from coconut milk floating at the surface (at least 20 minutes), then set aside.
3. In the big cooking pan, pour the meat together with seasoning and 300 ml coconut milk until the meat soaked.
4. Add the bay leaves and lemon grass. Then cook it with medium flame while stir it sometime until a half of coconut evaporate.
5. Pour 100 ml coconut milk and stir it again until all of the coconut milk evaporates.
6. Keep stirring and add the rest of coconut milk, about 100 ml for one pouring.
7. Cook the meat until the meat well done for about 1 ½ hours so that all of the coconut milk evaporates and rendang’s seasoning done.

 Tips:

1. This recipe can be used to make renand from chicken, eggs, potato.
2. To get soft rendang, before you soak the meat into seasoning, knead the meat with papaya leaves.
3. Do not take rendang with your hands, but use spoon to take it in order rendang can be kept for long time.