Malaysian Beef Rendang with Coconut Rice
Beef Rendang with Coconut Rice
Beef slowly cooked in coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, chiles, and warm spices until rich and deeply aromatic, served with fragrant coconut rice.
Malaysian beef rendang is built on patience: beef cubes simmer slowly in coconut milk with lemongrass, ginger, galangal, chiles, shallots, and toasted spices until the sauce reduces into a dark, clingy coating. The result is not a loose curry, but tender beef wrapped in a concentrated coconut spice paste.
This version keeps the method approachable for a home kitchen while respecting the dish's essential slow reduction. Toasted coconut is stirred in near the end for the nutty body that helps rendang taste rounded and savory, and a final adjustment of salt, lime, and sugar keeps the richness balanced.
Coconut rice turns the rendang into a complete meal. The rice cooks separately with coconut milk, pandan if available, and a little salt, giving a fragrant base that catches the spiced oil and softened aromatics without competing with the beef.
Use a heavy pot and give the rendang time to move from simmering to frying in its own coconut oil. Stir more often in the final stretch, when the sauce thickens quickly and the spices deepen from golden to mahogany.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Blend the shallots, garlic, chiles, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and 1/4 cup coconut milk into a thick paste, scraping down the blender as needed.
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2
Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the spice paste for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and the oil begins to separate.
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3
Add the beef and stir until every piece is coated in the paste. Cook for 5 minutes, turning the beef so the outside loses its raw color.
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4
Pour in the remaining coconut milk, then add the cinnamon stick, star anise, torn lime leaves, sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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5
Cover the pot partially and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the beef starts to soften and the sauce is reduced by about half.
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6
Uncover and continue cooking for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring more often as the sauce thickens, until the beef is tender and the coconut sauce clings to the meat.
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7
Stir in the toasted coconut and lime juice. Cook for 10 more minutes, until the rendang looks glossy and thick, then remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, and lime leaves.
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8
While the rendang finishes, combine the rinsed jasmine rice, water, coconut milk, pandan leaf, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes.
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9
Turn off the heat under the rice and let it steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the pandan leaf and fluff the rice with a fork.
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10
Serve the beef rendang over warm coconut rice, spooning the thick coconut spice coating over each portion.
Ingredients
- Beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes:2 1/2 lb
- Unsweetened coconut milk:2 cups
- Shallots, roughly chopped:8
- Garlic cloves:5
- Fresh red chiles, seeded for less heat:4
- Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced:2 tbsp
- Fresh galangal, peeled and sliced:1 tbsp
- Lemongrass stalks, tender centers sliced:3
- Ground coriander:2 tsp
- Ground cumin:1 tsp
- Ground turmeric:1 tsp
- Cinnamon stick:1
- Star anise:2
- Kaffir lime leaves, torn:5
- Vegetable oil:3 tbsp
- Unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted:1/2 cup
- Palm sugar or brown sugar:1 1/2 tbsp
- Fine sea salt:1 1/2 tsp
- Lime juice:1 tbsp
- Jasmine rice, rinsed:2 cups
- Water:1 1/2 cups
- Coconut milk for rice:1 cup
- Pandan leaf, knotted:1
Tips & Notes
- If galangal is unavailable, use extra ginger, but add a strip of lime zest to bring back some of the bright, resinous aroma.
- Rendang tastes even deeper after resting; cool it, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently with a splash of water if the sauce is very thick.
- Keep the heat low once the coconut milk is added so the beef tenderizes before the sauce fully reduces.
