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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Beef rendang with rice

Beef rendang is an Indonesian dish where beef simmers slowly in coconut milk and spices until the sauce reduces and caramelizes. For 4 people, it takes 2.5 hours, has a medium difficulty level, and costs about €3.80 per person. The key to success is patience, the sauce must nearly disappear so the meat browns and concentrates its flavor.

For a cozy weekend meal, here's Indonesian rendang, beef simmered in coconut milk until the sauce disappears and caramelizes.

Beef rendang with rice
Total time
2 h 30
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Rendang isn't your typical stew, it's a dish where the sauce eventually vanishes, leaving behind deeply browned, intensely flavored beef. Coconut milk slowly reduces with shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and this mixture gradually coats every piece of chuck until it falls apart at the touch of a fork.

This is a weekend dish, the kind you start on a lazy Sunday afternoon while the whole house fills with its aroma. It takes time but little hands on attention, perfect for hosting friends curious about new flavors or treating your family to a meal that breaks from the usual routine.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chuck or beef shin 900 g

Pantry

  • Coconut milk 40 cl
  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Ground corianderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Brown sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Shallots 4
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 30 g
  • Lemongrass 2
  • Fresh red chiles 2
  • Lime 1

Allergens Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, chiles, turmeric, and coriander into a paste. Cut the beef into large cubes.

    Keep the chile seeds if you like heat, remove them if you don't.

  2. Put the paste, beef, coconut milk, crushed lemongrass, and cinnamon in a large pot. Bring to a simmer. 10 min

    Crush the lemongrass well with the flat of your knife to release its aroma.

  3. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost completely reduced. 1 h 50

    Once the sauce thickens, lower the heat and stir more often so it doesn't catch at the bottom.

  4. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, and salt, then let the meat caramelize in the remaining coconut oil until deep brown. 15 min

    This is the step that makes rendang, don't stop it too soon.

  5. Cook the rice, squeeze lime over the meat, and serve. 12 min

    A squeeze of lime at the end wakes up all the richness of the dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a cut meant for slow cooking like chuck or shin, their collagen melts slowly and gives you tender meat instead of dry meat.
  • Never cover the pot while it cooks, open evaporation is what lets the sauce reduce and caramelize properly.
  • Taste and adjust salt only at the end of cooking, the soy sauce and reduction already concentrate a lot of flavor.

The variations

  • Swap the chuck for beef shin if you can find it, it turns even more tender after a long simmer.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with jackfruit or seitan chunks and cut the simmering time to 40 minutes.
  • For a faster version, use beef already cut into small cubes and simmer for about 1 hour instead of two.

What to serve it with

  • Jasmine rice to soak up the sauce
  • Fresh cucumber for a crunchy side
  • Iced jasmine tea

Storage

Rendang keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and it's often even better the next day. It freezes well for up to 2 months, without the rice. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Why does rendang's sauce need to almost disappear?

That's what sets rendang apart from a regular curry. The long reduction brings out the coconut oil, which then caramelizes the meat and gives it its signature deep brown color.

Can you make rendang ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended since the flavors deepen with resting. Make it the day before, keep it in the fridge, and reheat gently before serving.

Can you substitute fresh lemongrass?

If you can't find fresh lemongrass, use frozen or tubed lemongrass, dried versions have much less flavor. Always crush the stalk to release its oils.

Is rendang very spicy?

That depends on the chiles you use and whether you keep their seeds. Remove the seeds for a milder version, keep them for more heat.

How long does it take to make a beef rendang, simmered in coconut milk and spices, served with rice?

Count 2 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a beef rendang, simmered in coconut milk and spices, served with rice?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a beef rendang, simmered in coconut milk and spices, served with rice cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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