A recipe by Hanan 🍚

"Rendang is the epitome of a dish made with love, care, and patience. This beautifully complex dish often takes hours to cook and as such, is typically served on special occasions.

Growing up, I fondly remember my grandmother serving rendang for Eid, and the preparations of sourcing the ingredients starting a week earlier. She would cook it the night before Eid, tending to a low flame all day and diligently observing that the rendang doesn’t burn. The result: a dish of rich, tender, dry fried chicken (or beef) glazed with a thick spiced coconut coating." The Vice Chair of Sisters in the University of Bath Islamic Society 25/26. 

Ingredients

For Ghee Butter Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 garlic cloves, pureed or grated
• 1 inch ginger, pureed or grated
• 2 cups water
• Spices: salt, anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, oil 

For Ayam Rendang:

• 600g bone-in chicken
• 1 onion or shallots, chopped
• 1 cup coconut cream or milk 
• 2 tsp palm sugar (or sugar)
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp kerisik (coconut butter)
• 5-6 makrut lime leaves
• 10 dried chillies or 2tbsp dried chilli paste
• Spices: salt, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, garlic, ginger, Galangal, lemongrass, turmeric powder, water, oil. 

For Acar: 

• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned 
• Vinegar
• Water
• Sugar and salt

Method

For Ghee Butter Rice:

1. Rinse the basmati rice until the water is clear and add to a rice cooker or saucepan with a lid.
2. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and oil. 
3. Add the pureed garlic, ginger, star anise, cloves and cardamoms.
4. Once fragrant, pour the mixture into the rice pot and stir through the rice evenly. Add water and a pinch of salt. 
5. Stir thoroughly and let the rice cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. Once cooked, close the lid and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

For Ayam Rendang:

1. Roughly chop the dried chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and lemongrass. Blend into a fine paste. 
2. Heat a pan with some oil, add in the rendang paste with cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom. Continuously stir fry until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir to coat. 
3. Add coconut cream or milk, water, kerisik, tamarind paste, salt, sugar and makrut lime leaves. Bring it to a boil. 
4. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it stew for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir trough every 5 minutes. 

For Acar:

1. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Once at a gentle boil, remove it from the heat and let cool. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, add your vegetables and pour over the pickling liquid. Toss to evenly coat. 
4. Serve immediately or allow the flavours to develop in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Put everything together on a plate and serve. 

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