Rendang

Rendang is one delicious dish that you can never ever miss during festivals and traditional weddings of the Malays, not only in Pahang but also in Malaysia.

It is one traditional dish or cuisine that can be prepared with beef, mutton, lamb or chicken, and normally eaten with rice ("nasi" in Malay), the staple food of the Malays.

During Aidil Fitri and Aidil Adha celebrations, this delightful cuisine is normally eaten with the ketupat and nasi himpit.

In fact it can be eaten with any other food like rice, wheat or barley bread (wholemeal or fine) or pancakes like roti canai, capati and murtabak, or just eaten as is.

However, to the Malays, rendang is normally taken with plain white rice. During festivals and important functions like weddings, however, the dish is taken with the usual variations of the rice dish, like nasi minyak, nasi kuning, nasi tomato or nasi beriyani.

Perhaps this traditional Malay dish is delicious to Malays because of the "hot" or spicy taste, complementing the plain taste of rice. It is a dish like the opor daging except that it is darker in color and it tastes less soury.

Well, here’s one recipe – there are many other variations of the rendang – known as the "Rendang Asli" that is usually prepared using beef or mutton for festive and other public occasions.

The Malays cook the rendang in a "kuali" or wok as the ingredients need to be constantly stirred or turned over to ensure they are nicely cooked.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg beef or mutton – cut to 0.5cm thick
• 3 coconuts, grated (set 2 cups aside for frying until golden brown, and blended or pound them finely)
• 1 teaspoonful cumin seed powder
• 1 teaspoonful black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoonful anise seed powder
• 40 pieces dry chillies, to first soak in warm water and then blended with 1 cup water until fine
• 300 gm Bombay onions } Blend with 1 cup of
• 100 gm young galangal root } water until smooth
• 2 pieces dried tamarind slices
• 2 sprigs turmeric leaves
• 2 sprigs lemongrass
• 2 sprig kaffirlime leaves
• 2 tablespoonful brown sugar
• 2 teaspoonful salt

COOKING METHOD

1. Cut meat into small cubes or squares of about 0.5 cm thick.
2. Squeeze remaining grated coconut with 8 cups of water to obtain the coconut milk.
3. Boil coconut milk, blended ingredients and powdered spices. Add in meat, lemongrass, tamarind slices, turmeric leaves and kaffirlime leaves.
4. Cook until the meat is tender. Add the pounded coconut, brown sugar and salt.
5. Stir dish until gravy thickens. Add salt and sugar to taste.
6. Serves best when it’s warm.

SERVING

Well, as mentioned above, the rendang is rather "hot" or "spicy" to unfamiliar tongues, but is certainly delicious and is served with plain white rice or its variations.

As a breakfast meal, it is usually eaten with the nasi lemak, or the roti canai and pancakes.

Well the above is one variation of the rendang, a traditional dish of the Malays in Pahang and Malaysia, and perhaps a cuisine no visitor to Malaysia should miss.

As always, from me ...

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