Ingredients
Serves 4-6
½ cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 kg of gravy beef, cut into 3cm dice
1 litre coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 piece cassia bark
4 star anise
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 teaspoon salt
Spice paste:
1 onion, diced
6 long red chilli sliced
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
5cm fresh ginger, sliced
5cm galangal, sliced
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
Method
Make the spice paste first by blending all the listed spice paste ingredients in a blender or by grinding in a mortar and pestle.
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based saucepan, add the spice paste and fry on a low heat until fragrant and darker in colour.
Toss in the meat and coconut milk and slowly bring to a simmer, stir making sure all meat is well coated in sauce. Add the whole spices, kaffir lime leaves and salt, turn down low and cook for about 2 hours with the lid off or until the beef is tender, stirring from time to time.
When near the end of cooking the coconut milk will have all but evaporated leaving the oil from the coconut for the beef to fry in, turn up the heat at this point to ensure it does fry well. The rendang will become darker and richly delicious. When the curry is dry it is ready to serve.
Serve with steamed rice and crispy fried shallots