Rendang Ayam
Rendang Ayam is a rich, deeply spiced chicken dish braised in coconut milk until the sauce reduces to a thick, intensely fragrant coating. The finished dish is savory, warm, citrusy, and slightly smoky from toasted coconut, with tender chicken wrapped in concentrated aromatics.
Ingredients
Spice paste
- 120 gshallots, roughly chopped
- 4garlic cloves
- 3fresh red chillies, seeded if preferred
- 2fresh bird's eye chillies
- 15 gfresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
- 20 ggalangal, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalkslemongrass, tender inner part only, sliced
- 30 mlwater
Rendang braise
- 700 gbone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 400 mlcoconut milk
- 4kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 1 leafturmeric leaf, tied in a knot
- 6 gsea salt
- 1 gblack pepper
To finish
- 25 gdesiccated coconut
- 10 mllime juice
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the spice paste. In a blender or small food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, red chillies, bird's eye chillies, fresh turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, and water. Blend to a mostly smooth paste, stopping to scrape down as needed. A fairly fine paste helps the rendang cook down faster and more evenly.
- 2
Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown and fragrant. Do not let it burn. Tip it out immediately so it does not continue cooking in the pan.
- 3
Place a wide sauté pan or shallow pot over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes until the raw aroma fades and the paste thickens noticeably. The moisture should reduce and the paste should look glossy and concentrated.
- 4
Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the hot paste for 2 minutes so they are well coated. Pour in the coconut milk, then add the kaffir lime leaves, turmeric leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring just to a gentle simmer; avoid a hard boil, which can make the coconut split aggressively.
- 5
Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring every few minutes and turning the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. The liquid should reduce from a sauce to a thick coating. If your pan runs hot, lower the heat to prevent scorching before the chicken is done.
- 6
Stir in the toasted desiccated coconut and continue cooking for 5-8 minutes, stirring more frequently, until the rendang becomes darker, oily around the edges, and almost dry, clinging tightly to the chicken. The chicken should be very tender and the paste intensely aromatic.
- 7
Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Rest for 5 minutes before serving; this short rest lets the oil settle back into the paste and the flavours round out. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Using a wide pan is the best shortcut for a 60-minute rendang: it reduces faster than a deep pot and gives better caramelisation.
- •Traditional rendang often cooks longer, but this version is designed to capture the correct flavour profile within the time limit by using a relatively small batch and a fine spice paste.
- •If turmeric leaf is unavailable, you can omit it; the dish will still be delicious, though slightly less floral.
- •For paleo serving ideas, pair it with steamed cauliflower rice, sautéed greens, or cucumber slices.
Background
Rendang is one of the great ceremonial dishes of the Malay-Indonesian world, deeply associated with Minangkabau cooking and widely beloved across Malaysia. Ayam rendang is a common home-style variation made with chicken, especially for festive meals, where coconut, aromatics, and slow reduction create its characteristic deep flavour. In Malaysia, rendang appears in both daily cooking and celebration menus such as Hari Raya.
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