Lamb Rendang

Throughout the history, human beings have figured out ways to prepare and preserve food based on the climate and their way of life. A dish can say a lot about a culture and it's history. Rendang is a dish originated  from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia . Dated all the way back to the 16th Century. The dish was created prior to the invention of refrigerator in order to keep a large amount meat for a longer period of time. The word rendang refers to the method of slow cooking meat. The dish later became popular around South East Asia specially in Malaysia, which is actually where I first heard about this dish.

Rendang is often being confused to be another type of curry dish. But this is a dish with a strong Muslim influence rather than your typical Indian influenced curry. I like to refer it as a dryer or Muslim version of Curry but with a even more complex flavor. Curry or rendang, it is a delicious pot of stewed meat with a deep flavor richened by the spices and slow process of cooking. It also happened to be one of my favorite dish to make whenever we have guests coming over for dinner.

As the weather is finally getting warmer I thought I'd share one last stewed for the season. This one pot meal will surely not disappoint you. Here's my version of a Malaysian lamb rendang.

Ingredients:

1 lb lamb
1 onion
3/4 c water
2 tomatos
2 lemon grass
3 cloves
2 bay leaf
1/2 t coriander seed
2 cardamon pods
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 unsweetened shredded coconut
1 carrot
1 potato

For the Rendang paste:
3 garlic
2 shallot
5 slices ginger
2 hot pepper
1/2 lime
2 lemon grass
1/4 c cilantro
1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 t turmeric 
1/2  t garam masala
1/4 t ground cumin 
1/2 t cayenne pepper
3/4 c water
 





Direction:
Start by caramelizing the onion, this should take about 10 to 15minutes. Traditionally, a rendang does not require caramelized onion. I've stole this step from the base of making curry. A good curry always starts with some caramelized onion to give it a naturally sweetened flavor. I've find that adding in the caramelized onions really gives the rendang an extra depth of flavor.

While you are waiting for the onions to be caramelized, you can make the rendang paste. You may be intimidated by all the ingredients, but do not worry, all you need to do is combine all the ingredients and blended into a pastes with a blender or a food processor. Set aside.

Note: Even though the rendang base has coconut milk in it, you will not taste any coconut flavor in the out come and this will not taste anything like you typical coconut flavored curry that are commonly served here in the American Thai restaurants which I am not particularly a big fan of. Because of the long cooking processs, the coconut milk will eventually be evaporated but it leaves behind a creamy texture and some natural sweetness to the dish. And I cannot stress enough, go for the full fat canned coconut milk or else you will not be able to get the same result.

 

Cut lamb into bite size chunks and season with a little salt and pepper.  You may subsitute lamb with beef if you wish. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven on high heat, sear the lamb in batched with 1T oil until their are nice and brown, this should only take 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove from pot and set aside. 

In the same pot, Heat up 2 T oil and stir in the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamon pods. cook on high heat for 30 seconds. This is also a method I stole from Indian curry, you may skip this step if you don't have these ingredients, but if you do and you are feeling adventurous, I highly recommend doing so, again this would just give the rendang some extra something to it.

Quickly stir in the rendang paste. Cook the paste for 30 seconds to one minutes until it's a little thick and you can smell the aromatics.

 

Dice up the tomatoes and add in the pot along with the caramelized onions and the seared meat. Then add in the water , two lemon grass and the unsweetened shredded coconut. The shredded coconut is what gives rendang it's signature texture. Once it comes to a boil, turn it down to the lowest heat and let it slowly cook for at least three hours.

I thought I use this column to show you  how to prepare lemon grass as I've often get ask by people the question. You really only want to use the bottom of the stem, the leaves don't have much flavor at all. What you want to do is smash the bottom of the stem with the back on your knife so the flavors can be release while it's cooking in the stew.

 

In the last thirty minutes of cooking, Cut up the potato and carrot into bite size chunks, toss in the rendang and continue to cook until they are tender. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste and it's ready to serve.

 Rendang is commonly served with glutenous rice, I like serving mine the Malaysian style with coconut rice. To make the coconut rice, all you need to do is cook jasmin rice the same way you usually do, but substitute half of the water with coconut milk, season with a little salt and chicken stock, cook it with 1 lemon grass and 2 pandan leaves you can find them at the Asian market but you may skip the leaves.