Indonesian favourite · Culina recipe

Beef
Rendang.

Name: Simple Beef Rendang
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 510 min
Ingredients: 1 kg beef chuck (cut into 3–4 cm cubes); 400 ml coconut milk; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 6 cloves garlic; 1 onion (roughly chopped); 5 red chilies (deseeded for less heat); 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground cumin; 3 kaffir lime leaves; 1 lemongrass stalk (bruised); 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Deeply spiced beef, slowly cooked with coconut milk until the sauce becomes rich, dark and intensely aromatic. A generous recipe made for sharing.

Recipe by Culina

Slow cooked
Full flavoured
Made for sharing

Cuisine

Indonesian

Course

Main course

Prep time

20 minutes

Cook time

30 minutes

Thermal cook

8 hours

Total time

8 hr 30 min

Serves

4 servings

About this recipe

Big flavour.
Worth the wait.

Beef rendang comes from West Sumatra and is one of Indonesia’s most celebrated dishes. It begins as a coconut-rich curry, then slowly reduces until the beef is tender and coated in a concentrated mixture of toasted spices and aromatics.

Why this version works

Long, gentle cooking allows the coconut milk to reduce without scorching while the beef absorbs the flavour of lemongrass, galangal, chilli and warming spices. The finished rendang should be thick and glossy rather than saucy.

Cooking aboard or outdoors

This is an excellent galley or camp recipe because most of the work happens at the beginning. Once everything is in the pot, it needs only low heat and an occasional stir. It is even better the following day.

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Cook this

Beef Rendang

Simple Beef Rendang

This simplified beef rendang is perfect for the Billyboil Thermal Cooker. It gently cooks over hours without extra energy, developing rich, authentic flavors with minimal effort.

Print Pin

Ingrediant: Beef

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indonesian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Thermal Cooking Time: 8

Total Time: 8 30

Servings: servings

Equipment

Billyboil Thermal Cooker 4.5L

Ingredients

Rendang Base

1 kg beef chuck cut into 3–4 cm cubes
400 ml coconut milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Spice Paste

6 cloves garlic
1 onion roughly chopped
5 red chilies deseeded for less heat
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin

Extras

3 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk bruised
1 tsp salt or to taste

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Blend all spice paste ingredients into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in the inner pot over medium heat. Sauté the spice paste for 5–7 minutes until fragrant.
Add the beef and sear until browned on all sides.
Pour in coconut milk, add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and salt. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes to reduce slightly.
Place the covered inner pot into the outer thermal container. Close the lid and let it cook for 8 hours.
Open and check for consistency. If too watery, simmer uncovered on the stove for a few minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion

Serve with steamed jasmine rice, cucumber, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime. For a larger shared table, add sambal, greens and crisp prawn crackers.

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1 Comment

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Author

Brent Smith

1 month ago

Grear recipe !