Rendang Tok (Beef Rendang)
A rich, deeply spiced Malaysian dry curry where beef becomes tender and coated in a thick, fragrant paste of chilies, coconut, and aromatics. Rendered-out coconut milk concentrates the flavors into a glossy, caramelized coating.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck or stew meat, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 4 whole red chilies, roughly chopped
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 whole shallots, peeled and halved
- 1.5 can (13.5 oz each) coconut milk, full-fat
- 2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Place the red chilies, garlic, ginger, and shallots in a food processor and blend until completely smooth, like a thick paste — this is your rendang base and should take 2–3 minutes of blending.
- 2
Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels so they brown better when cooked, about 1 minute total for all pieces.
- 3
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pot, about 1 minute.
- 4
Add the beef chunks in a single layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms turn deep brown, about 4 minutes — you'll see color change from gray to dark golden.
- 5
Stir the beef to turn the pieces over and brown the other sides, another 3–4 minutes, until the meat is dark brown all around.
- 6
Pour in the chili-ginger paste and stir constantly, coating every piece of beef, for 2 minutes until the mixture turns fragrant and slightly darker.
- 7
Pour in both cans of coconut milk and add the palm sugar and salt, then stir to combine, about 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
- 8
Reduce heat to medium and let the rendang simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally every 3–4 minutes, for 35–40 minutes until the beef is fork-tender and the coconut liquid has reduced to a thick, glossy, dark brown sauce.
- 9
Taste and adjust salt if needed — the sauce should coat the back of a spoon and the meat should shred easily when pressed with a fork.
- 10
Transfer the rendang to a serving dish or bowls and serve hot with steamed rice, allowing the rich sauce to soak into each grain.
Tools you’ll need
- food processor
- paper towels
- large heavy-bottomed pot (at least 5-quart capacity)
- wooden spoon for stirring
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- cutting board
- knife
- serving spoon
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