Nasi Padang
A Minangkabau meal from Padang, West Sumatra, served in a genuine style called hidang: dishes are brought and stacked at the table by the server, and diners pay only for what they actually eat, not a self-serve buffet as it's often mistaken for. Padang restaurants exist in nearly every Indonesian city and well beyond because of the Minangkabau merantau tradition, a longstanding custom of young people leaving home to seek their fortune. Real rendang is cooked low and slow until the coconut-milk liquid fully evaporates into a dark, dry, caramelized finish — the wetter, saucier stage often served and mislabeled as finished rendang is really an earlier stage called kalio.
⚠ Contains: Soy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 800g beef, cubed, for rendang
- 600ml coconut milk
- 3 slices galangal
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 4 dried chiles, soaked
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Kaffir lime leaves
- Rice, to serve
- Sambal, fried tempeh, boiled cassava leaves, to serve
Steps
- Blend the shallots, garlic, chile, galangal, and turmeric into a spice paste, and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the beef, coconut milk, and lemongrass.
- Simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, as the sauce reduces from liquid to thick (the kalio stage, about 1 hour in) to dark, dry, and oil-separated rendang.
- Serve with rice, sambal, fried tempeh, and other side dishes brought to the table.