I is for INDONESIA

I Presented this dish on my A-Z of World on Radio Ellenbrook 88fm this saturday am, and cooked it for dinner the other night. See photo on Facebook. It is delicious!

Indonesian Beef Rendang   (4 Portions)

INGREDIENTS

500g diced Beef (eg: Chuck steak )

*1 piece fresh Lemon Grass (pounded /chopped )

1 red Capsicum

3 Chillies (use less Chillies and more Capsicum or visa versa , according to taste )

1 Onion (chopped )

4 Cloves Garlic

1 tsp fresh dried Coriander

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

1 tablespoon of palm sugar

20g Galangal

2 Daun Salam (Indonesian Bay Leaf)

1 large can of Coconut Milk (425 m)

Bunch of fresh chopped Coriander

METHOD

1. In a blender, combine the Capsicum, Chllies, Onion, Garlic, sugar, lemon-grass, Galangal, Daun Salam and fish sauce. Blend thoroughly.

2. Brown Beef in a big pot, then add the blended paste

3. Add the can of Coconut Milk.

4. Stir together well and add the teaspoon of dried Coriander.

5. Cook for about 1 hour or until the Beef is tender.

6. Add a good handful of fresh chopped Coriander leaves.

7. Serve with Nasi Tumpeng.

* Lemongrass

            Use the fresh stalks for cooking as the dried grass is usually used for tea. This spice is used mostly in South East Asia and especially in Thailand and Vietnam. It’s fragrance is wonderful but is a very fibrous plant, so  it can either be used like a bay leaf

to infuse the dish , then removed after cooking. Or pound the bulb and trimmed leaves into a paste and add to the dish.

** If you can’t get fresh bay leaves, use dried local ones but do not blend, add whole to the stew.