I recently came across a simple recipe for the classic beef stew called 'Rendang'. After some changes and trial runs, here it is.
What you need
•blender
Ingredients (for 4)
•2 red chili peppers, seeds removed
•4 shallots, peeled and halved
•3 cloves of garlic, peeled
•2 tbs almond pasta
•60 gr cashew nuts
•1 tbs of turmeric powder
•750g of preferably grass fed or organic meat for stewing
•2 tbsp coconut oil
•2 lemon grass sticks (sereh), halved lengthwise
•skin of 1/2 lime, very well washed (specially if non-organic)
•500 ml of meat stock
•200g of 'santen' (concentrated of coconut cream)
•salt and pepper
What you do
•put the chili peppers, shallots, garlic, almond pasta, cashew nuts and turmeric into a blender and make a paste; set aside.
•cut the meat in cubes, add salt and pepper to taste and then saute it in a warm pan with the coconut oil. Sear it for approximately 5 min and then drain any fat; set aside
•warm up the yellow turmeric paste in a pan at low heat for about 5 min and add the skin of 1/2 a lime (in one of several chuncks)
•add the meat cubes, the meat stock, the coconut cream and stir till the coconut dissolves
•let it simmer for 3 hours in very low heat
•remove the lime skin and the lemon grass sticks before serving
Remarks
•Rendang is usually served with white rice. If you want to avoid the grains, like I do, opt for a neutral root mash (see the ideas I posted under Potato Blues but go easy on the spices. Only add a pinch of pepper and salt if that).
•Do check out the health benefits of turmeric. It's mind blowing....
