Recipe - Chicken Rendang (Ayam Rendang)

Chicken rendang is a traditional Malay dish. This spicy chicken dish is made distinctive by the use of  grated or desiccated coconut. The grated coconut is then toasted to release its flavour before being added to the dish. Gula melaka (palm sugar) is also used to add sweetness and flavour.  The chicken and spice paste is then slowly cooked for the spice paste to blend and the chicken to become tender.

It is a slight variation from the curry chicken or ayam pongteh or even the ayam buah keras. They are all aromatic and spicy.

Onions, garlic, ginger, candle nuts, lemon grass, turmeric, coriander and coconut milk are the usual spices used to make the dish aromatic and spicy.

Ingredients
Serves 4

8 chicken drumsticks (about 500 grams)
60 ml coconut milk.
50 grams grated coconut to make kerisik (see below)
3 turmeric leaves (if you have) or a tbs of turmeric powder
3 kaffir lime leaves, slice finely (if you have)
1 tsp of salt


Spice Blend:

• 5 dried chillies, soak in water for easy blending
• 10 shallots or 3 large onions
• 2 pieces candlenut
• 4 cloves garlic
• 5 cm ginger
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 2 cm galangal
• 2 cm turmeric root
• 2 cm coriander root.
• 1 tbs of palm sugar

1 tbs cooking oil

Preparation method

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hour

1.

To make the kerisik, toast the grated coconut in a dry pan over low heat. Stir constantly until the coconut becomes golden brown and set aside.

2.   Blanch the drumsticks in boiling water for 1 minute. 

      This is to get rid of the surface fat. 

3.

Blend the spice ingredients until fine.
Heat the oil in a pot or wok on medium till hot.
Fry the spice blend till fragrant.
Put the chicken and coconut milk in the pot and stir over medium heat and bring to a boil.

3.

Reduce heat and cook until the gravy thickens. Add kerisik, tumeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, salt and sugar to taste. Cook until the meat becomes tender and the gravy is thick.

      About 45 minutes.

Enjoy

   

A 5 minute video where thermal cooker is used. Using thermal cooker, this dish needs only to simmer for 15 minutes and the cooker will do the rest of the cooking.

A 13 minute video on the Peranakan version of chicken rendang.





A 5 minute video on how to make beef rendang




One more version of chicken rendang from Nyonya Cooking