One of Malaysia's better-known dishes is beef rendang, a slow-cooked dry curry deeply spiced with ginger and turmeric, kaffir lime and chilis. (You'll find chicken, vegetable, and seafood rendang as well.) In Malaysian fashion, it fuses sweet, sour, and savory elements, the curry picking up a creamy richness from two forms of coconut and an elusive tang from asam keping, slices of a sour sun-dried fruit. "Dump everything into a pot, and cook to oblivion" is how Malaysian cooking instructor Rohani Jelani, owner and instructor at cooking school Bayan Indah Culinary Retreat, characterizes her beef rendang method. It's more likely to be an occasion dish than an everyday dinner—first, due to the cooking time; second, in that it likely originated as a dish for a large crowd. Without refrigeration, the slaughter of a cow left a family with an awful lot of meat to consume quickly; cooking it all up in rendang could feed a crowd easily, and the long stewing process helped to extend the life of that beef by a few more days. While the ingredient list is lengthy, the process is dead simple: chop up chilis and aromatics and blend into a paste; pour that paste into a pot along with coconut milk and beef; and cook. The liquid reduces down and coconut oils emerge from the milk, so that by the end, the meat is essentially frying in that flavor-laden oil. It's not a quick dish, but the flavors that build and concentrate make the cooking time worth every moment.
One of Malaysia's better-known dishes is beef rendang, a
slow-cooked dry curry deeply spiced with ginger and turmeric, kafr
lime and chilis. (You'll nd chicken, !egetable, and seafood rendang
as well." #n Malaysian fashion, it fuses sweet, sour, and sa!ory
elements, the curry picking up a creamy richness from two forms of
coconut and an elusi!e tang from asam keping, slices of a sour
sun-dried fruit.$%ump e!erything into a pot, and cook to obli!ion$
is how Malaysian cooking instructor &ohani 'elani, owner and
instructor at cooking school (ayan #ndah )ulinary &etreat,
characteri*es her beef rendang method. #t's more likely to be an
occasion dish than an e!eryday dinner+rst, due to the cooking time,
second, in that it likely originated as a dish for a large crowd.
-ithout refrigeration, the slaughter of a cow left a family with an
awful lot of meat to consume .uickly, cooking it all up in rendang
could feed a crowd easily, and the long stewing process helped to
e/tend the life of that beef by a few more days.-hile the
ingredient list is lengthy, the process is dead simple0 chop up
chilis and aromatics and blend into a paste, pour that paste into a
pot along with coconut milkand beef, and cook. 1he li.uid reduces
down and coconut oils emerge from the milk,so that by the end, the
meat is essentially frying in that 2a!or-laden oil. #t's not a
.uick dish, but the 2a!ors that build and concentrate make the
cooking time worth e!ery moment.
