Rendang danging

(Indonesian beef and coconut curry)

One of the things I like about this dish is that it’s like a western casserole in reverse - in western casseroles, you fry first then simmer; in rendang danging you simmer first, then fry.

At the end, you have a rich, dark, semi-dry curry that goes very well with rice, and even better with flat breads such as roti canai or chapatis.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg diced chuck steak
• 1 400ml can coconut cream
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2cm cube fresh ginger, sliced
• 1cm cube fresh galangal, sliced
• 2 coriander root
• 8 birdseye chilli
• 2 onions
• 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 4 curry leaves
• .5 cup tamarind liquid
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• palm sugar to taste
• garnish - torn coriander leaves, dry-fried desiccated coconut

Method

This one goes fast slow fast. It works well to do the assembling around lunch time, pop it in the slow cooker for the rest of the day, then back into the frying pan for about half an hour to reduce and finish. So…

Roughly chop one onion, thinly slice the other.

In blender, blitz the chopped onion, garlic, chillies, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, coriander root with just enough enough coconut milk for it to form a paste.

Once done, fry in peanut oil until the oil starts to separate from the liquid. Stir in beef cubes until they are coated, then add remaining coconut cream. Raise temperature to bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients except the tamarind, sugar and garnish.

Once it has reached a strong boil, drop the temp and simmer, covered for about 2 hours - or, which is how I like to do it, transfer to a slow cooker and cook for 6 hours - in which case you give the frying pan a clean, because you’ll use it again!

After 6 hours in the slow cooker, transfer the mixture to the frying pan, bring the heat up and cook off the liquid until it just clings to the meat. Stir in sugar and tamarind.

Garnish to serve.