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Malaysian Beef Rendang Submitted by Duncan Bayne on Fri, 2006-03-24 13:29.
About a week ago, while visiting a mall, I tried Rendang for the first time; it's a Malaysian coconut-based curry sauce. Recently, I've been that busy I haven't had the time to cook in the evenings during the week, so I've been cooking up large batches of sauces that take well to freezing, and freezing them for consumption later in the week. Beef Rendang looked like it fitted the bill, so I went hunting for a recipe. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, and bought all of the ingredients. Well, almost all. I ended up substituting fresh coriander leaves for the seeds (shockingly, the local supermarket was out of coriander seeds - although the leaves are very different to the seeds the overall effect was similar), and instead of fifteen (yes, 15) dried chilies I figured I'd use ten fresh chillies, which would give it a more herbaceous flavour while making it less hot than the original recipe. Well. Firstly, I'd like to say that ten chilies still made it, erm, rather hot. Almost blisteringly so, in fact. But not offensively hot; it didn't mask the flavours of the coconut, or the coriander, the fennel and the cumin (all of which were pronounced and distinguishable in the final product). Rather, it brought them out and delivered them with a bang. And, for once, drove the dogs out of the kitchen (well, two of them; it takes more than weeping eyes to distract Charlie from food). Secondly, don't forget to let it simmer properly. Having had Rendang prepared by someone else, I knew what the consistency should be like - quite viscous. The aforementioned recipe produces a sauce almost souplike in consistency, which has to be simmered down over the course of at least an hour (mine took longer). Finally, check out the brand of Coconut Cream I found at the local supermarket ... when I saw it I just had to buy it ...
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ACK!
I'm blinded!!! THE F-WORD!!!
OK, I'm over it now.
Sandi, I would love to hear more about your curries (yours too, Ross). I've mastered my coconut milk curries (more of the wussy Korma variety or the milder Thai ones), but want to explore more flavors. I'm also looking for a good Thai cookbook.
Now I'm craving Nuar Nam Tok (spicy beef salad), which happens every time I think about Thai, and I managed to have my best salad yet in Atlanta. I have *tried* and *tried* to duplicate it at home, but only came close after a lovely Thai woman adopted me for a week and tried to show me the way. It's hard to find kaffir lime leaves where I am.
-- The Gilded Fork
Food Philosophy. Sensuality. Sass.
Seems like ...
... they know wbout SOLOists' obsession with milk squirtings.
Foodie?
Um, you'd better rephrase that before Prima Donna catches you using the 'F' word.
Adam
www.adambuker.com
Another foodie here
I am an avid curry fan and my partner and I eat more curries than western food. Predominantly Sumatra - Padang style are my favourites, although I like variation from Thai, Indonesian, Indian and Kashmir curries.
The secrets to a great tasting curry are:
1: Grind your own spices (use a coffee grinder).
2: Always use a pestle and mortar!!
(The blender is hopeless but will suffice if time is of the essence)
Buy your ingredients from an Asian store - forget about the supermarket. You will get much better value and indeed more variety.
When buying corriander seeds - always get the light brown ones, not the black or dark ones as they are of poorer quality.
Try to learn which spices sour your curries. This is important and can only be done by constant taste.
Tumeric and fengureek, for example can be very sour.
Tamarind has an incredible flavour - ideal for seafood.
I like to combine tamarind with tamarillo's - for a vegetable curry.
Store your spices in glass jars - they will keep fresher - Essential.
Chilli's, fresh corriander, ginger, galangal, garlic, lemon grass, all freeze exceptionally well.
Use a good shrimp paste - they keep for ages in the fridge. Hwever, I have found that I do prefer to use a fresh jar of anchovies instead. The flavour is more intense - just how I like it.
Silverbeet and or taro leaves are just superb in any curry!
Remove the stalks from taro leaves and cook well. One of my favourites are the small eggplants, I use them as much as I can get hold of them. These are small and round about the size of a cherry. You can only get them from Asian food shops.
Pumpkin is also a great thing and it is a natural thickener.
Try to learn to curry by taste and soon you can throw away the recipe books and make your own. A good curry is a personal thing - made to taste. You just have to figure out what spices are gonna float yer boat!
Chilli's - the more you eat the more you want. They are addictive.
The hottest are the smallest ones from Thailand - although recently a friend sent me up a variety from Taranaki that I had not seen before and I am very impressed. I will contact the grower and find out more about these odd shaped but marvellously hot chilli's.
Dried Anchovies: Absolutely delicious. Soak them for about 20 min's. I usually dry them overnight in the fridge - deep fry them in hot oil and store in a glass jar. I eat them as a snack, or use them as a topping, or as the dish Ikan Bilis, and they are yummy with Japanese style foods - soy sauce, wasabi, cream cheese and spinnach.
Bon Appetite!
15???
Good christ, that qualifies as terrorism.
This sounds delish...but I have some issues with the branding on the "Pe'e pe'e" coconut milk. Clearly that was not meant for American markets.