Are you craving a delicious and flavorful Indonesian dish? Try this Instant Pot Beef Rendang! This is a classic Indonesian recipe, that is well known for its popularity all over the world.
I have tried a lot of beef dishes including beef stew, beef steak, beef meatballs, and beef kebabs but trust me, beef rendang is the best of all. The thick layer of spices covering the meat cubes and the aromatic smell just drives me crazy.
This easy beef rendang recipe is cooked with desiccated coconut which makes it more dense and adds a unique flavor. The rich and aromatic flavors of lemon grass, candlenuts, and fennel powder make this dish more appealing. Lemongrass adds a citrusy, earthy note with a hint of lemon, while candlenuts provide a creamy, nutty richness, and fennel powder contributes a subtle anise-like sweetness.
With the convenience of an Instant Pot, you can now enjoy this mouthwatering dish within an hour, and it tastes exceptionally well.
So, get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this authentic and easy-to-make Beef Rendang recipe.
Easy Beef Rendang Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients
Desiccated coconut – 200 grams
Onions – 2 large
Shallots- 12 peeled
Garlic- 8 cloves
Lemon grass – 6 stalks
Candlenuts- 2 pieces
Turmeric- 1 “knob
Ginger – 2” knob
Galangal – 2” knob
Chili paste – 6 tablespoons
Olive oil- 2 tablespoons
Beef cubes – 1 kg
Coconut milk – 1ltr
Fennel powder- 1 tablespoon
Cumin powder- 1 tablespoon
Salt- 1 teaspoon
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Step-By-Step Guide For Cooking Instant Pot Beef Rendang
Step-1: Sauteing Desiccated Coconut
Start with sauté mode in the instant pot.
Add desiccated coconut to the instant pot in sauté mode and cook until brown. While cooking keep stirring it with a spatula.
Once done set aside in a separate bowl.
Step-2: Blending and making the paste
Take an electric blender and add 2 large onions, 12 peeled shallots,8 garlic cloves, 6 stalks of lemon grass, 2 small pieces of candlenuts, 1 inch knob of turmeric, 2-inch knob of ginger, 2-inch knob of galangal and 6 tablespoons of chili paste. Blend them well for a few minutes until they are mashed and well mixed with each other.
Step-3: Sauteing Beef with rempah paste
Get back to the instant pot and set it on sauté mode again. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add rempah paste to the instant pot. Stir for 4-5 minutes.
Now add beef cubes to the instant pot and coat the cubes with fried rempah paste. Add coconut milk and stir with a spatula.
Step-4: Slow Cooking Beef Rendang In Instant Pot
Cover and lock the instant pot, turn the vent knob to sealing. Set the Instant Pot on meat/ stew function mode and cook at low for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, open the lid and mix well. Now add 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of fennel powder, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon of salt and sugar, and set the instant pot on sauté mode.
Stir all the ingredients and allow the sauce to achieve your desired thickness.
Add desiccated coconut and stir for a while.
And that it, your thick and mouthwatering beef rendang is ready. Garnish with additional desiccated coconut and serve hot!
Notes & Tips
- I would suggest cooking rendang with fattier slices of beef as they get nicely cooked in the instant pot.
- You can also use beef stew spices for this recipe.
- You can replace galangal by doubling the ginger quantity.
- Leave some desiccated coconut for garnishing.
Store Bought Beef Rendang Paste Vs. Homemade Beef Rendang Paste
Homemade beef rendang paste has no comparison with store bough paste. Although store-bought beef rendang paste offers convenience and consistency but may contain preservatives and limit customization, while homemade rendang paste allows for precise flavor control, freshness, and healthier options. Although homemade paste can be a little time-consuming, the results are worth the effort.
The final choice depends on your priorities, but I will obviously go for homemade rendang paste.
Why does ‘Rendang’ Indonesian food taste so amazing?
I found it amazing because of the unique spice combination. Rendang is made with a combination of aromatic spices and herbs such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, cloves, and chili paste. Beef absorbs the flavor of these ingredients, and the addition of coconut milk adds a creamy richness to the dish making it both delicate and delicious.
How healthy is rendang?
Beef rendang is high in protein and a good source of multi nutrients. It typically contains protein from meat and healthy fats from coconut milk. And each spice adds its own nutritional properties to the dish, making it a nutrient dense meal.
But on the other side, it is also high in calories and fats. It is also high in sodium content. So, if you are someone on a diet, use beef rendang in moderation and make it healthier by using lean pieces of meat, a small amount of salt, and coconut milk.
How do I make my beef rendang so tender that it falls apart in my mouth?
Cooking beef rendang in the instant pot will get you nicely tendered beef rendang that will fall in your mouth.
Choose the right cut of meat add a little bit of baking soda and sprinkle it on your beef for 10 minutes before cooking it, it helps to make the beef tender much quicker.
Rest, simply follow this recipe. You will get well tendered beef rendang at the end of the cooking process.
What is the difference between beef curry and beef rendang?
The key distinction lies in their texture and preparation. Beef curry typically features a sauce or soup-like consistency. It is more likely to contain sauce or soup while beef rendang is a dry dish with pieces of meat coated with a thick layer of spices.
Equipment
- Instant pot cooker
Ingredients
- 1 kg Beef cubes
- 1 ltr Coconut milk
- 200 grams Desiccated coconut
- 2 Onions
- 12 Shallots peeled
- 8 Garlic cloves
- 6 stalks Lemon grass
- 2 pieces Candlenuts
- 1 inch Turmeric knob
- Ginger 2 inch knob
- Galangal 2 inch knob
- 6 tbsp Chili paste
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Fennel powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Press sauté mode in the instant pot. Add desiccated coconut to the instant pot and cook until brown. While cooking keep stirring it with a spatula.
- Once it gets brown, set aside in a separate bowl.
- Take an electric blender and add 2 large onions, 12 peeled shallots, 8 garlic cloves, 6 stalks of lemon grass, 2 small pieces of candlenuts, 1 inch knob of turmeric,2-inch knob of ginger, 2-inch knob of galangal and 6 tablespoons of chili paste. Blend them well for a few minutes until they are mashed and well mixed with each other.
- Get back to the instant pot and set it on sauté mode again. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add rempah paste to the instant pot. Stir for 4-5 minutes. Now add beef cubes to the instant pot and coat the cubes with fried rempah paste. Add coconut milk and stir with a spatula.
- Cover and lock the instant pot, turn the vent knob to sealing. Set the Instant Pot on meat/ stew function mode and cook at low for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, open the lid and mix well. Now add 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of fennel powder, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon of salt and sugar, and set the instant pot on sauté mode.
- Stir all the ingredients and allow the sauce to achieve your desired thickness.