Rendang facts for kids
Authentic Minangkabau (Padang) beef rendang has a dark colour, very little liquid content, and is served with ketupat (rice dumplings in woven palm leaves)
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| Alternative names | Randang (in Minangkabau) |
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| Course | Main course |
| Region or state | West Sumatra |
| Serving temperature | Hot or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Meat (beef, lamb or goat), coconut milk, chilli, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, shallot |
| Variations | Chicken rendang, duck rendang, liver rendang, spleen rendang |
Rendang is a famous dish from the Minangkabau Highlands in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is a rich and flavorful meat dish, usually made with beef. The meat is slow-cooked in coconut milk and a special mix of herbs and spices. This cooking goes on until all the liquids are gone. The meat then turns dark brown and becomes very tender. It gets a delicious caramelized taste.
Rendang is a very important dish in Minangkabau culture. People traditionally serve it at special events. These include wedding parties and Lebaran (a big holiday in Indonesia). It is also a traditional dish for the Malay community in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. The Maranao in the Philippines also enjoy it.
Rendang is one of Indonesia's official national dishes. In 2011, a big survey even named beef rendang the most delicious dish in the world!
Contents
The History of Rendang
The story of rendang might go back to Indian traders. They had links to West Sumatra before the 15th century. Old Dutch records show that India and West Sumatra were in touch a lot. This suggests that Indian curry might have been an early version of rendang.
The Minangkabau people took Indian curry and made their own version called gulai. Then, they cooked this gulai even longer to make kalio, which is a wet rendang. They kept cooking it until it became thick and dry. This final dish is what we now call rendang.
A historian named Prof. Gusti Asnan thinks rendang spread when Minangkabau traders traveled to Malacca in the 16th century. Traveling by river took a long time. A dry, preserved rendang was perfect for these long trips. Dry Padang rendang can stay good for weeks, even without a fridge. The first written mention of rendang is from a Malay book called Hikayat Amir Hamzah, from the 1550s.
During Indonesia's fight for freedom in 1946, the first lady, Fatmawati, cooked rendang. She sent it to cheer up the freedom fighters. She even went to the market herself to buy beef, even though she was pregnant!
Rendang became popular everywhere because Minangkabau people often move to other places for work. They open Padang restaurants in many Indonesian cities and nearby countries. These restaurants have helped make rendang famous around the world.
What Rendang Means to Culture
In Minangkabau culture, rendang is very important. It stands for the idea of musyawarah, which means talking things over with elders. People say the four main ingredients of rendang represent different parts of Minangkabau society:
- The meat (daging) means the Niniak Mamak. These are the traditional leaders and respected elders.
- The coconut milk (karambia) means the Cadiak Pandai. These are the smart people like teachers and writers.
- The chilli (lado) means the Alim Ulama. These are the religious leaders. The spiciness of the chilli stands for Sharia (Islamic law).
- The spice mix (pemasak) means everyone else in Minangkabau society.
Rendang is a must-have dish for special Minang ceremonies. These include birth celebrations, weddings, and religious festivals like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
In 2011, rendang was ranked 11th on a list of the World's 50 best foods by CNN International. Later, an online poll with 35,000 voters chose beef rendang as the top dish!
The Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture has listed six types of rendang as important cultural heritage. In 2018, the Indonesian government officially named rendang one of the country's five national dishes. The others are soto, sate, nasi goreng, and gado-gado.
How Rendang is Made
Rendang is made by slow-cooking meat in coconut milk and spices. If cooked well, dry rendang can last for about four weeks. Before fridges existed, this cooking method helped keep large amounts of meat fresh. This is why rendang is still sent as food aid after natural disasters in Indonesia. The best beef for rendang is lean meat from the back leg of a cow.
Rendang uses many spices. Besides meat, it has coconut milk and a paste of ground spices. These include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaves, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and chillis. This mix is called pemasak. The spices in rendang also help keep it fresh naturally. Some people call rendang a curry, but in Indonesia and Malaysia, it's seen as different. It's richer and has less liquid than most curries.
The word rendang actually means a way of cooking. It means to slow-cook ingredients in a pot over a small fire. You stir it all the time until all the liquids are gone. Traditional Padang rendang takes many hours to make. It needs patience because you have to grind spices and cook slowly. As the liquid disappears, the coconut milk turns into coconut oil. This makes the meat tender and full of flavor. Because of all the spices, rendang has a very complex and special taste.
Rendang is often eaten with steamed rice, ketupat (rice cakes), or lemang (rice cooked in bamboo). It can also come with side dishes like boiled cassava leaves or gulai (a type of curry).
- Stages of rendang cooking
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Early on, the coconut milk is still abundant.
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Then, the coconut milk starts to evaporate and become oily.
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By the end, the coconut milk has almost evaporated completely and the meat has darkened.
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The final dish is less liquid than a curry.
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Served with nasi rames
Types of Rendang
In Minangkabau cooking, there are three main stages when cooking meat in spicy coconut milk: Gulai, Kalio, and Rendang. The difference is how much liquid is left.
- Gulai is when the meat is cooked, and the coconut milk has just started boiling. It's the most soupy.
- Kalio is when more liquid has evaporated, and the meat starts to brown. It's a wet rendang.
- Rendang (dry) is cooked for many more hours. Almost all the liquid is gone, and the color becomes very dark brown, almost black.
So, gulai is light yellow, kalio is brown, and dry rendang is very dark brown. Today, people usually talk about two types: dry rendang and wet rendang (kalio).
Dry Rendang
The traditional Minangkabau rendang is the dry one. It's not completely dry like jerky, but it's moist and a bit oily. It's stirred for hours until the coconut milk turns into oil and the meat soaks up the spices. Dry rendang is served for special events. If made correctly, it can last for three to four weeks at room temperature. It can even last months in a fridge.
Wet Rendang or Kalio
Wet rendang, also called kalio, is cooked for a shorter time. It still has a good amount of coconut milk liquid, which turns into spicy oil. This sauce is very tasty with steamed rice. Many rendang dishes served outside Indonesia are actually kalio. Kalio lasts less than a week at room temperature. It is usually a lighter golden brown color than dry rendang.
Different Kinds of Rendang
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Rendang can be made from different meats. These include beef, beef liver, chicken, duck, mutton, or water buffalo. You can also find vegetarian versions made with vegetables like jackfruit or cassava. Chicken or duck rendang often has tamarind and is not cooked as long as beef rendang.
There are two main types of original Minangkabau rendang:
- Rendang darek ('land rendang'): This comes from the mountainous areas. It uses beef, poultry, jackfruit, and other local vegetables.
- Rendang pesisir ('coastal rendang'): This comes from the coastal areas. It mainly uses seafood, but can also have beef or water buffalo.
Here are some other rendang variations you might find in Indonesia:
- Rendang ayam: Chicken rendang.
- Rendang babi: Pork rendang. This is eaten by non-Muslim people, like Christians in North Sumatra or Hindus in Bali.
- Rendang cubadak: Unripe jackfruit rendang.
- Rendang daging: Meat rendang, usually beef.
- Rendang hati: Cow liver rendang.
- Rendang itiak: Duck rendang.
- Rendang jariang: Jengkol rendang (a type of bean).
- Rendang lokan: Marsh clam rendang.
- Rendang paru: Cow's lung rendang.
- Rendang talua: Egg rendang.
- Rendang tempe: Tempeh rendang, a vegetarian option.
Rendang is now very popular all over Indonesia. This is thanks to the many Padang restaurants. People from different backgrounds now cook rendang at home. This has led to new versions with slightly different tastes. For example, in Java, rendang is often wetter, a bit sweeter, and less spicy.
Rendang Around the World
Rendang is also well-known in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, southern Thailand, and the southern Philippines. You can even find it in the Netherlands, Australia, and Belgium.
In Malaysia
Malaysia has many different versions of rendang. Each state might have its own special way of making it. They use different spices, which changes the flavor. Some Malaysian rendang types include:
- Rendang ayam: Chicken rendang.
- Rendang daging: Beef rendang, often dark in color.
- Rendang ikan: Fish rendang.
- Rendang itik: Duck rendang.
- Rendang kambing: Goat rendang.
- Rendang kerang: Cockles rendang, often served with Nasi Lemak.
- Rendang Tok: A special dry beef rendang created by royal cooks.
- Rendang cili api: A green rendang that uses very hot chili.
In the Netherlands
Because of old ties with Indonesia, the Dutch also know rendang. They often serve the wet kalio version. It's usually part of a big meal called a rijsttafel. Many Indonesian restaurants in Dutch cities serve rendang.
In the Philippines
In the Philippines, rendang is linked to the Maranao people. Their rendang is different because it uses a local spice mix called palapa. They also add muscovado sugar.
New Rendang Creations
Sometimes, the special rendang spice mix (bumbu) is used in new ways. Chefs have created fusion dishes like rendang rolls in sushi restaurants. You can also find rendang in sandwiches, burgers, and spaghetti. Burger King even sold a rendang-flavored burger in Singapore and Indonesia for a short time. You can even buy spaghetti with rendang at 7-Eleven stores in Indonesia!
Rendang is also a popular flavor for instant noodles, like Indomie Goreng Rendang.
See also
In Spanish: Rendang para niños
