Minangkabau Rendang

Hhhhmmmm...!! The famous rendang that has been spread far and wide across the countries taking people into the world of famous foods! Originating from the famous Minangkabaus, served on festive occasions and means of honouring guests.


A brief history of where Minangkabau's originated from streams back way into time. It is said that Minangkabau comes from the phrase of 'Winning Water Buffalo'. It is a story about how West Sumatra (Minangkabaus) and the Javanese kingdom disputed between the territory of lands. To resolve this conflict and to avoid human blood-shed the Minangkabau locals proposed a fight between two water buffalo's, to the death. Whichever side would win the fight would win the ownership of the land. The Javanese King produced the largest, meanest and most aggressive buffalo, while the Minangkabaus produce a very hungry baby buffalo with its horns sharpened and knives tied to its horns. Catching sight of the big buffalo across the field, the baby buffalo ran towards the big buffalo in hope of some milk. However, the big buffalo did not see the baby buffalo as a threat and looked around for more worthy opponent to fight with. On reaching the big buffalo, the baby buffalo thrust its head under the belly of the big buffalo looking for an udder, it's sharp horns and knives pierced through the belly of the big buffalo and killed it. The Minangkabaus successfully won the fight and through this the Minangkabaus were born and named Minangkabau (Winning Water Buffalo)! Minangkabaus are also known as Padang's nowadays but their name before this victorious win, nobody knows.


After this victorious win, the proud Minangkabaus built the rooflines of their homes curving upwards from the middle and ending with points at the end of each side, to represent their victorious history and the upward-curving horns of the buffalo.

This is an example of a traditional house built by the Minangkabaus also known as Padangs.


Rendang is a famous Minangkabau dish 'invented' by the Minangkabau people. They ventured out of their village and spread further than the Malay peninsula, sharing their wonderfully delicious foods, which now are spread world wide.


Rendang, to most westerners is considered a curry. It will look like a curry in between the process of waiting for all the coconut milk and water to evaporate. However, if cooked right the end result won't turn out looking like a curry. Rendang is a slowly cooked dish made out of cubed meat, herbs and spices and alot of coconut milk. The cubed meat mixed with the spices and boiling in the coconut oil, allows the meat to soak up all the flavours from the spices and herbs while the coconut is also being soaked up by the meat and evaporating, becoming a thick past covering the deliciously tasty tender meat, that'll make your mouth water just thinking about it.

The Rendang process of it turning from a 'curry dish' to the real Rendang darkening as it slow cooks.

One of the negative aspects of cooking rendang is probably the time limit it takes to cook. It usually takes about three to four and a half hours to cook and be ready for serving. Put that over the positive aspect of cooking rendang, is that the taste and flavour of rendang will make you forget how long you cooked for and bring you into the world of foodilicious bliss! It'll have you coming back more...

And what we've all been waiting for.. THE RECIPE!!

- The amount of meat used depends on how many people you will be serving. Keep in mind that rendang is all about the soft tender meat and thick past so you will be needing a little bit more meat that you use for a curry.

2 Kg of beef or mutton, cubed in sizeable chunks
400 gm large red onions or shallots


4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 inch galangal (lengkuas)

1 1/2 inch ginger (halia)

1/2 inch fresh tumeric (kunyit)

2 stalks lemon grass (serai)

8-10 pieces of *dried or fresh red chillies, or a combination. (To be soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes and the grounded)

1 tumeric leaf


5-6 pieces kaffir lime leaves

2 tsp salt

Slice onions, garlic, galangal, ginger, tumeric and lemon grass and then grind them in a food processor ( my preference) or a blender, if you prefer, until it becomes a paste.


Put all ingredients - cubed meat, ground paste, tumeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves, santan and salt into a large pot or wok and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil lower heat and let it simmer for the rest of the cooking time until the mixture becomes a very dark rich brown. This will be achieved as the colour changes  through several stages in the cooking.

Stir every once in a while to ensure that the bottom does not get burnt or that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pot or wok. The rendang is ready when the mixture becomes dark, rich and brown or if it is cooked to a drier stage the colour would be an even darker chocolate brown.

Note: Trial and Error - Using a heavy based woke or pot that has a wide mouth is best to cook Rendang in. The larger surface area allows evaporation to take place more rapidly and the heat is not entirely concentrated on breaking down the meat inspite of the long cooking process. So you will still get a nice thick sauced rendang while still maintaining chunks of meat satisfactorily intact.


Note: If packaged coconut milk is used instead of fresh, you may not end up with the glaze of oil towards the end of the cooking and the rendang may not be satisfactorily dark or moist. This would probably be caused by the fact that packaged coconut milk has lost most of its natural oils after being processed.

The only way to overcome this problem is by cooking the ground ingredients in oil first, as you would a curry, then add the rest of the ingredients after which you should continue to cook it as you would a rendang.

My Grandmother who was taught by her grandmother who was 'thoroughbred' Minanagkabau women always told me that the dark rich brown colour of the Rendang made it inviting and always tasted better than it looked. Howevere if the Rendang isnt as dark brown, never tastes that nice.

GOOD LUCK!!!