Spicy, rich with spices, and creamy gravy from all the blended spices, toasted grated coconut, and coconut milk, this meat stew or also known as rendang is so delicious, tender, full of flavor, and very popular not only in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia and Singapore.

Rendang is originated from Minangkabau, West Sumatera, Indonesia. It has to be slowly cooked until the liquid evaporates, caramelized, and infused with all the flavors. Rendang is one of Indonesia’s national dishes and there are several different recipes to cook this flavorful dish.

Although most people know that rendang is made from beef, there are actually other meat than can be used to make rendang. Rendang actually refers to the method of slow cooking, not a certain type of dish.

Rendang can be made from chicken, pork, mutton, lamb, squid, and even from vegetables such as jack fruit, cassava, or even banana blossom. Chicken rendang has always been my favorite (I like it even more than beef rendang), and cooking time is faster than beef rendang and just until the chicken is soft and tender. We don’t want the chicken to be too dry or break apart if we cook for too long.

The gravy is very rich and so flavorful and I can even eat the gravy only with rice and without the meat. Yes, it is that good.

For this recipe, I used fresh coconut milk that I bought from the wet market, and it did taste better than the packaged one. I also bought the freshly grated coconut in the same place and yes, if possible, I recommend you use everything fresh.

Ingredients:

1. 2 large chickens, cut into large parts
2. 5 tbsp cooking oil
3. 400 gr grated white coconut
4. 1.3 L coconut milk (400 ml thick or santan kental and 900 ml runny or santan encer)
5. 2 tbsp tamarind, soaked in warm water and squeeze to get the juice
6. 2 tbsp salt, or to taste
7. 2 tbsp coconut sugar, or to taste
8. freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

Blended spices:

1. 200 gr shallots
2. 100 gr garlic
3. 100 gr candlenuts, stir fry without oil until fragrant and a bit burnt
4. 2 thumbs of ginger
5. red chili, as much as you want

Aromatic and ground spices:

1. 6 slices of galangal
2. 3 lemongrass, bruised
3. 2 x 7 cm cinnamon stick
4. 10 cloves
5. 5 star anise
6. 1 turmeric leave (skip if you can’t find it)
7. 6 salam or bay leaves
8. 8 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
9. 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
10. 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
11. 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
12. 1 tsp ground caraway seeds

Method:

1. Stir fry grated coconut while stir occasionally on low to medium heat until dry and aromatic. It should be light brown but not burnt. Grind until smooth and oily and set aside
2. Blend all the spices in ‘blended spices list’ with cooking oil until smooth and form a paste. Stir fry in a large wok until fragrant and the mixture starts to dry
3. Add aromatic and ground spices (see the list above) and cook for another minute, then add the chicken and stir to mix with all the spices. Cook until the chicken turns to white
4. Add coconut milk, tamarind juice, coconut sugar, and salt. Stir occasionally until the liquid is boiled. Turn to low heat and add toasted coconut
5. Turn to low heat and cook until the chicken has cooked through, the gravy is thick and creamy and oily and has turned into dark brown color. Flip the chicken 2 or 3 times during the cooking process
6. Turn off the heat and squeeze lemon or lime to get to juice and mix with the chicken and gravy
7. Serve with hot steamed rice and green sambal