Recipe - Rendang Tok

Ingredients

1 kg beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

To be blended together:
10 fresh red chillies
8 dried chillies, soaked
20 shallots
1 head garlic
5 stalks lemongrass, use only the bottom white part
1 knob ginger
1 big knob galangal
1 big knob tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder (jintan putih)
1 tsp fennel powder (jintan manis)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Dry spices:
2 star anise
3 inch cinnamon bark
7 cardamoms
6 cloves

Leafy stuff:
coconut cream from 2 coconuts
1/2 grated coconut, toasted over a low flame til dry and browned
5 stalks lemongrass, top trimmed off and lightly bruised
3 pandan leaves, knotted
2 tumeric leaves, crushed to release the aroma
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 heaped tbsp tamarind paste, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water, and pulp removed
1 cup water
salt to taste


Method

marinate the beef with the blended ingredients for at least 2 hours in the fridge

in a pressure cooker, put in the beef and all the marinade, all the dry spices, and the 'leafy stuff'. If the amount of liquid looks insufficient, add more water. cook for 35-40 minutes

the end result should be quite dry and gravy quite thick. if it's still watery, cook uncovered on a medium flame til gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, taking care not to let it burn

add the dry toasted grated coconut and mix well


NOTES:

if cooking on normal pot/pan, it takes about 2 hours or so for the meat to be really tender. stir occasionally. add water when necessary

the amount of spices and ingredients is up to you to adjust to your own preference. the amount in this recipe is to my own taste

i normally marinate the beef in a ziplock bag in the freezer for a couple of days

the toasted grated coconut is normally pounded til fine after the toasting. but i prefer it this way