Beef Rendang with Coconut & Lime Rice
Serves 4
Ingredients
700g boneless beef short ribs (or flank) cut in to large cubes
½ teaspoons of cinnamon
3 cloves
1 lemongrass stalk (chopped)
1 tin coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soak in warm water to keep the juice and discard the seeds)
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon palm sugar (normal sugar will do, too)
Salt to taste
3 Bok choi (ends chopped, and leaves separated)
For the Rice
80g basmati rice
1 lime
20g coconut cream (diluted in 400ml boiling water)
For the Paste
5 shallots
2 inches of galangal or ginger
3 lemon grass (just the white bits)
6 cloves garlic
12 dried red chilies, soaked and de-seeded.
Method
1. Blitz the paste ingredients in a food processer until fine
2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and fry the paste, along with the cinnamon, cloves until aromatic
3. Add the beef and the ponded lemongrass and fry for a minute or two,. Add the coconut milk, the tamarind juice and the water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the meat is almost cooked through
4. Add the lime leaves and the palm sugar, then reduce the heat to low, put the lid and simmer for 1-1/2 hours until the meat has gone tender, but still has some shape to the chunks
5. Around 20 mins before the meat is done, Dilute the creamed coconut in 400ml boiling water
6. Put a little oil in a saucepan and coat the rice. Add the 400ml of water with the creamed coconut and bring to a rolling boil with the lid on for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to the minimum and heat for 10 mins
7. Turn the heat off the rice, add the juice of one lime, and half a lime of zest and fluff with a fork. Keep the lid on, and leave to one side.