Family Recipe for Rendang
All Malaysians, Muslim or non-Muslim alike, look forward to eating rendang when Hari Raya, or Eid celebrations, arrive. If during Eid you get invited to a Malaysian open house that doesn’t have rendang, either a) you have arrived too late, or b) somebody is hiding it for themselves (I’d check their pockets to make sure
).
Rendang has been best described as a traditional Malay spiced coconut dish, although there are also variations without coconut milk. While beef rendang tends to be more popular, there are also chicken rendang variations. Rendang is also traditionally served at Malay weddings, and other celebration functions.
Teaching how to make good rendang is tough in writing, for even after years of being my mum’s assistant, I can’t confidently say I’ve mastered the dish on my own. The thing about Malay cooking is it heavily relies on the senses; specifically smell, colour and the play of balance between four main tastes: sweet, sour, salty, spicy. Very rarely will you walk into a Malay kitchen and observe the cook at hand actually follow a rendang recipe to the tee, even if that recipe is written down.
Knowing this, I’ve “worked backwards” to record my mum’s chicken rendang recipe for you guys. To do this, I made the basic rendang recipe which comprises of two main steps: the saute and the marinating. During the final simmering stages, I quickly recorded the additional “adjustment ingredients” as my mum added this and that to achieve the perfect colour and taste (this was quite a challenge given the speed she moves about in the kitchen… phew!)
At the end of it all, I present to you the most accurate rendang recipe ever recorded in our family kitchen. Like, seriously.
Enjoy, and salam Eid Mubarak! 
- Step 1: Saute
- Step 2: Marinate
- Step 3: Simmer
- Additional Tips
- Photos: Step 1
- Photos: Step 2
- Photos: Final dish
- This recipe variation is without coconut milk, as our family has a history of high cholesterol. If you wish to have a “fuller” flavour (read: yummy! sorry Doc), substitute some of the water in Step 3 with coconut milk.
- Balancing the flavours: If you find it too spicy, add some sugar to take the edge off. Conversely if you find it too sweet, add a bit more chilli. If you feel like you’ve added enough salt but it still tastes a bit bland (and you don’t want to add any more chilli), then you’re probably lacking a little bit of the sour element. Try adding more asam.
- If you can’t find asam gelugor, then substitute it with something similarly sour, such as lemon, limes or tamarind.
- If you want that extra kick, slice up some bird eye chillies and stir in before serving.
- Finally, cook with love. And have fun
From top to bottom, left to right:
Galangal, tumeric & ginger / Onions, shallots & garlic / Chillies / Candlenuts / Saute until the oil separates (“oil rises”)
Do let me know how this works out for you if you give it a go, and don’t hesitate to ask any questions!
Coming Soon:
Printable download and “kitchen-friendly” presentation of this recipe.
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