Water buffalo in spicy coconut sauce – Rendang Kerbau

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 kg buffalo meat (water buffalo meat)
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 1 liter coconut water
• 5 tbsp coconut oil
• 100 g onion(s)
• 8 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 2 Pepper, red, long, mild
• 4 small chili peppers, green
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 30 g ginger
• 20 g turmeric, alternatively 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 30 g galangal
• 6 m.-large tomato(s)
• 40 g celery
• 4 stalks of lemongrass (lime grass)
• 8 cloves
• 8 cm cinnamon stick(s)
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp mace powder, alternatively nutmeg powder
• 18 g beef broth powder
• 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 4 lettuce leaves
• e.g. pepperoni threads
• n. B. almond sticks
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

The recipe for this exotic, spicy specialty comes from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Heat 4 tablespoons of coconut oil in a wok, fry the meat pieces in 3 batches until light brown all over, and then transfer them to a 3.5-liter casserole dish using a slotted spoon. Do not clean the wok; keep any remaining oil ready. Wash the ingredients for the blender, peel them if necessary, and cut them into small pieces. Special note: leave the seeds in the peppers and chilies. Roast the coriander seeds in a small pan without oil until fragrant. Thinly slice the roots crosswise. Peel and deseed the tomatoes. Roast the onions and garlic in the wok with the remaining oil until light brown. Add the ingredients, from the peppers to the galangal, and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Deglaze with 400g of the coconut water and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Place the lemongrass in a blender along with the tomato pieces and celery stalks and blend at full speed for one minute until smooth. Add the puree to the casserole dish with the meat. Rinse the blender with the remaining coconut water and add the rinse water to the casserole dish. For the spices, remove any wilted, brown, and green leaves from the lemongrass, trim the tough root stem, and separate the white stems into approximately 10 cm long pieces. Lightly crush the bottom end of each piece with a kitchen hammer, but be careful not to destroy the structure. Add both to the meat along with the remaining ingredients and the washed leaves and stir in. Cover and simmer for 4-5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. After 3 hours, add the coconut milk and mix well. Then remove the lid, continue simmering, and let the sauce slowly thicken. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Once the sauce has a creamy consistency, test whether the meat is sufficiently tender. If not, continue simmering with the lid on. Remove from the heat, cool, and let it mature in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Heat the rendang thoroughly, but do not boil it! Transfer to a serving dish, garnish, serve, and enjoy warm. White rice is the main course of choice in Indonesia. Ribbon noodles, potatoes, and white bread can also be served with it. Note: Rendang refers to a cooking technique using coconut milk and various spices and leaves. In addition, rendang must mature and is therefore cooked the day before. Rendang is a festive dish, similar in appearance to goulash, but with a unique flavor. Depending on the choice of ingredients, it can be light yellow, red, or light to deep brown. Water buffalo meat is one of the most sought-after meats in almost all of Asia due to its excellent flavor. It is also available in Germany, but, as in Asia, it is relatively expensive.