Chicken Rendang

Rendang is an Indonesian spicy meat stew dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Although culinary experts often describe rendang as a curry, the dish is usually not considered as curry in Indonesia because it is richer and contains less liquid than is normal for curry dishes, and does not have potato or carrots as curry has. It will take hours of cooking, and the bubbling coconut milk and the spices will turn the meat soft and spoon tender. This dish takes on all the intense tropical aromatics of the coconut, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chiles, and spices, and along the way, the coconut milk deepens into a nutty, buttery sweetness. I use chicken drumsticks for my recipe, but chicken legs will work well. Some people prefer beef instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
8 to 10 chicken drumsticks
1 can coconut milk 14.5 oz
Spicy paste ingredients:
1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 inch galangal, roughly chopped (omit if unavailable or use 1 tsp powder)
2 lemongrass (the white part), chopped
4 garlic cloves

3 shallots

2 red chili (remove seeds)

1 tsp clove powder
Other ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes, ground
Salt, black pepper, sugar
Chopped green onion and cilantro
Serve with
Cooked Jasmine rice, or Chapati Bread or Nan

Directions:
Wash and dry the drumsticks, and set aside.
Place ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and red chili in a mini food processor and blend until becoming a paste. Remove into a bowl and mix well with coriander powder.
In a deep sauté pan, add 1/4 cup of oil; stir in all the spicy paste and cook for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Stir in toasted coconut flakes
Add chicken in one layer and cook chicken on both sides. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and sugar (your taste).
Add coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to boil and lower the temperature to simmer.
Cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender; remove lid in the last 10 minutes for the sauce to evaporate. Season again to your taste. At this time, add black pepper. Turn the heat off and sprinkle with green onions and chopped cilantro
Now the Rendang is ready to serve.

 

Tips: I add 1 package of the Goya Sazon seasoning because this spice has cilantro flavor (optional). 

This recipe also needs the star anise. You can add a few. I do not have star anise in my recipe because it is already flavorful.

 

To make toasted coconut flakes. In a sauté pan, add unsweetend coconut flakes. Stir constantly until toasted. Blend the toasted coconut in a blender set to fine. You do not have to grind the coconut if you can get one already ground.

 

You can add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.