Ann Mold’s Beef Rendang

This recipe, shared by our friend Ann Mold from Lynton, reflects her time in Indonesia. She adapted it using local ingredients during a socially distanced meal in July 2020. With Ann’s permission, we’re delighted to share it with you.

Ann Mold (a long-standing friend of ours who was born and raised in Lynton, where her father was the GP for many years) cooked this a couple of years ago at her partner Andrew’s birthday party.

She learned how to make it when she was working in Indonesia, and we love it so much that (with her permission!) we’re sharing it with you.

The photo is of a ‘socially distanced’ meal we had here at West Ilkerton with Ann and Andrew a few nights ago (July 2020). She adapted some of the ingredients (adaptation in brackets) because she had to buy everything from Lynton and some of the more specialised ingredients weren’t available.

We have found that a good place to buy herbs and spices online is www.BuyWholefoodsOnline.co.uk.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg diced beef
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 stick of cinnamon about 3 inches long
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 star anise
  • 5 cardamon pods
  • 1 lemongrass cut into 4 inch lengths and pounded (or 1/2 pot of lemongrass paste)
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons of tamarind pulp – soak in warm water for the juice and discard the seeds (don’t worry if you can’t get this)
  • a cup of water
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves very finely sliced (or one lime – including zest – whizzed in a food processor)
  • 6 tablespoons of kerisik (toasted coconut)
  • 1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar
  • salt to taste (and / or a teaspoon of soy sauce)
  • For The Spice Paste: 5 shallots (or 1 – 2 onions)
  • 1 inch of galagal (or 1-2 extra inches of ginger plus a level teaspoon on turmeric)
  • 7 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch of ginger
  • 10 – 12 dried chillies soaked in warm water and seeded (or 2 – 3 long red fresh chillies
  • A bit of ground pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Method

  1. Chop up all the ingredients for the spice paste and then blend them in a food processor until fine.
  2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamon and stir-fry until aromatic.
  3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass. Stir for a minute or two. 
  4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice and water, and simmer on a medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
  5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik and sugar. Stir well to blend all the ingredients together.
  6. Turn the heat down low, cover the lid of the pan and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. (Alternatively you can put the pan in a low oven.)
  7. Serve immediately with steamed rice and your choice of vegetables or a salad.

NOTE: To make kerisik, add grated coconut to a dry wok or frying pan and stir continuously until the coconut turns golden brown.