Malaysian Recipes - Rendang Daging - Rich Coconut Beef

This rich Malay dish appears on every festive occasion, and the beef is cooked to a melting tenderness in a fragrant coconut gravy.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Oil
3 cm (1 1/4 in) Cinnamon Stick
2 Cloves
4 Star Anise
2 Cardamom Pods
500 grams,(1 lb.) Topside Beef, cubed.
1 cup thick Coconut Milk
1 Slice Asam Gelugor, or 2 teaspoons dried Tamarind Pulp soaked in warm water for juice.
2 fragrant Lime leaves, very finely sliced.
1 Turmeric leaf, very finely sliced.
2 Tablespoons Kerisik,(see Helpful Hint below).
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste.

Spice Paste

2 Shallots
2 cm (3/4 inch) Galangal (from Marks & Spencer !!!)
3 Lemon Grass
2 Cloves Garlic
2 cm (3/4 inch) Ginger
10 Dried Chillies, soaked in hot water

Method
1) Chop the spice paste ingredients then puree in a blender until fine. 2) Heat the Oil in a Pot on a Medium setting until hot, then turn down to Low and add the Spice paste, Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, and Cardamom and cook for 5 minutes. If it starts to burn, add a tablespoon of water.
3) Add the Beef, Coconut Milk and asam gelagor or Tamarind juice. 4) Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the meat is almost cooked. 5) Add the Lime and Turmeric leaves,kerisik,sugar and salt. 6) Lower the heat and simmer until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Approximate cooking time is 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7) Helpful Hint :- Kerisik is ground coconut. To prepare the kerisik, roast 10 oz,(300 g) of fresh grated coconut, either the traditional way in a dry Wok,stirring constantly, or in a slow oven until brown. Then grind finely, preferably when hot, because then it's crispy and easier to grind. Coconut oil may be produced if the coconut is old, in which case, simply combine it with the ground coconut.