This is the kind of comfort food that is much needed on a cold and rainy day. It awakens the senses and ignites a passion for the food of our land.

The warm and decadent mouthfuls of flavour in every bite are best enjoyed with friends and loved ones all joined at the table together. This is a dish best saved for a special occasion.

It is said that ‘rendang’ finds its origins in West Sumatra, Indonesia with the Mingangkabau tradition, influenced by the spice trade as a rendition of a curry specific to this part of the world.

It is also said that the word ‘rendang’, refers to the slow cooking process that gently urges this incredible dish into being, with much patience and resilience. Patience is the key to this dish. So, treat it with love and really invest in this one.

Flavours and pairings

Spicy, aromatic and coconut-rich. The defining feature of this dish is the kerisk, so if you’re able to, try to make your own. The nuttiness of toasted coconut really comes through when you do. This rendang will go perfectly with a healthy helping of nasi kunyit or even roti jala.

Ingredients

• 800g chicken, cut into 5 cm pieces (or 1 whole chicken cut into parts with the bone in)
• 5 large red chillies, roughly chopped
• 10-15 dried chillies, soaked in hot water and deseeded
• 3 small red onions (or 6 small red shallots), roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 7.5 cm piece galangal, roughly chopped
• 5 cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 4 lemongrass stalks, white base roughly chopped and green tops left whole
• 2.5 cm piece fresh turmeric, roughly chopped (or ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, 5 left whole and 1 finely sliced for garnishing
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar or palm sugar
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon kerisik
• Half a lime, juiced

Method

• Blend large red chillies, dried chillies, red onions, garlic, galangal, ginger, turmeric and lemongrass (white base only). Blitz until a fine paste is achieved.
• Heat six to seven tablespoons of oil in a large pot or wok on a low-medium flame.
• Add the spice paste (rempah), green lemongrass tops and five kaffir lime leaves. Cook gently, stirring throughout for about 10 minutes or until the oil has split.
• Add the chicken to the spice paste. Stir well to combine everything together.
• Add a few pinches of salt and allow to cook for two to three minutes or until the oil has split again from the spice paste.
• At this stage, add 1.5 cups of water. Then allow to simmer on a low and gentle heat for 15-20 minutes with the lid on, or until the consistency of the rendang has become a little thicker.
• Add the coconut milk, sugar and kerisik to the pot. Taste for salt at this stage and add as needed.
• Stir well to combine and simmer for a further 10 minutes until all the flavours have come together.
• Add a final touch of lime juice, stir through and allow to cook for five minutes before serving.
• Plate with a final flourish of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves and it’s ready to serve.

@theorangesieve serves up recipes from the heart, inspired by travels near and far. It’s all about food that humbly invites you to discover the truth about flavour, that is: the people, the culture and the stories behind them. The kind of food that leaves you with a smile for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.