Beef Rendang Tok Recipe (Rich & Fragrant Malaysian Beef Rendang)

This Beef Rendang Tok recipe creates a rich and fragrant dish by slowly braising beef in coconut milk, spices, and aromatics until the sauce thickens and the meat becomes beautifully tender. The flavour develops slowly as the coconut milk reduces and the spices infuse into the beef, creating a deep, aromatic rendang that is incredibly satisfying.

Rendang Tok is a traditional Perak Dish that was originally enjoyed by the royalty. It is a dry, fragrant, rich curry that is cooked slowly until the sauce becomes thicker and more concentrated, giving the dish its signature deep colour and rich flavour.

One of my favourite Hari Raya dishes, Beef Rendang Tok is perfect for festive occasions or family meals. Although it requires patience, the steps themselves are quite simple.

The recipe shared here is adapted from Dato’ Chef Ismail Ahmad’s recipe.

Watch How to Make Beef Rendang Tok:

Why You’ll Love This Beef Rendang Tok Recipe

• Rich and deeply fragrant from coconut milk, spices, and aromatics
• A festive dish that is perfect for celebrations or special meals

What Beef to Use for this Beef Rendang Tok Recipe

The Rendang Tok recipe from Dato’ Chef Ismail Ahmad’s cookbook calls for topside cut (bahagian punggung). However, you can use any cut of beef that is suitable for braising.

In this video, I used chuck tender, which is a leaner cut of beef. When the dish is warm, the meat turns out nice and tender. However, because it is a lean cut, the meat can become slightly stringy and tougher once it cools to room temperature.

For leaner cuts of beef, it is also important not to overcook them as the meat may turn tough and dry.

Ingredient Explanation

Kerisik

Kerisik is toasted coconut that has been ground into a paste. It adds a nutty aroma and helps thicken the rendang sauce.

Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar)

Gula Melaka adds a gentle sweetness and depth of flavour that balances the spices and coconut milk.

Fresh vs dried chillies

This recipe calls for dried chillies. I used fresh chillies instead because I can’t take dried chilies.

Dried chilies give a smoky, fragrant flavour to the dish.

Pre-mix curry/rendang powder

For convenience you can buy pre-mix spice powder. In the pre-mix powder I bought, the spices listed are chili, coriancer, fennel seeds, cumin, cinnamon and star anise.

Ingredients 材料

Main Ingredient

+/- 1.5 kg beef +/- 1.5 公斤牛肉

2 kg coconut milk 2公斤椰奶

200 grams kerisik 200克烤椰子酱

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder 1/2茶匙肉豆蔻粉

100 grams Gula Melaka/palm sugar 100克马六甲椰糖

1.5 teaspoon salt 1.5茶匙盐

1 teaspoon sugar 1茶匙白砂糖

1/2 cup cooking oil 半杯食用油

Stir-fry ingredients 炒材料:

1 cinnamon stick 1根肉桂棒

6 cardamoms 6颗小豆蔻

4 tbsp (24 grams) pre-mix beef curry/rendang powder 4汤匙（24克）预拌牛肉咖喱粉/仁当粉

Blended paste 混合浆料:

15 shallots (125 grams) 15 个小洋葱（125 克）

8 cloves garlic 8 瓣大蒜

2 cm ginger (25 grams) 2 厘米生姜（25 克）

2 cm galangal (25 grams) 2 厘米高良姜（25 克）

15 fresh chillies (+/-300 grams) or 35 dried chillies 15 个新鲜辣椒（约 300 克）或 35 个干辣椒

Garnish 装饰

1/2 chili, thinly sliced 半个辣椒，切薄片

1 kaffir lime leave, thinly sliced 一片青柠叶，切薄片

Method:

Prepare the spice paste

• Add shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and chillies into a blender.
• Blend until it forms a fine paste.
• Set aside.

Prepare the beef

• Cut the beef into large chunks.
• Try to keep the pieces roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
• Set aside.

Prepare the aromatics

• Heat cooking oil in a wok or large pot.
• Add cinnamon stick and cardamoms and the pre-mix beef curry or rendang powder.
• Stir-fry on low heat until fragrant.

Cook the blended paste

• Add a little more oil if necessary.
• Add the blended paste into the wok.
• Cook on low heat until the paste thickens and becomes fragrant. (You do not necessarily need to cook until the oil separates.)

Add the remaining ingredients

• Pour in the coconut milk.
• Add the beef pieces.
• Add kerisik.
• Add nutmeg powder.
• Add gula melaka.
• Season with salt and sugar.
• Mix everything well.

Braise the rendang

• Cook the beef on low heat (do not cover the with a lid.)
• Stir occasionally to prevent the base from burning. (When the sauce begins to thicken, stir more often and reduce the heat further if necessary.)
• Continue cooking for about 2½ hours until the oil separates and the rendang becomes thicker and the colour turns richer and darker.

Check the tenderness

• Test a piece of beef with a fork.
• The meat should be tender and easy to break apart.

Adjust seasoning

• Taste the rendang.
• Add a little more salt if necessary.
• Mix well.

Reduce the sauce further (optional)

• If you prefer the rendang to be drier, continue cooking until more liquid evaporates.
• If the beef is already tender, remove the meat before reducing the sauce further.
• Add the meat back into the sauce afterwards.

Serve

• Transfer to a serving dish.
• Garnish with red chillies or kaffir lime leaves if desired.
• Serve warm.

Cooking tips:

Cook the spice paste slowly: Cooking the paste on low heat helps develop fragrance and prevents the mixture from burning.

Stir more frequently as the sauce thickens: As the coconut milk reduces, the mixture becomes thicker and can burn easily at the bottom.

Reduce the heat as the rendang cooks: Lower heat helps the beef cook slowly and develop deeper flavour.

Check seasoning at the end: The flavour becomes more concentrated as the sauce reduces, so it is best to adjust the seasoning towards the end.

Adjust the dryness of the rendang: If you prefer a drier rendang, continue cooking until more liquid evaporates.

Remove meat before reducing sauce further: If the beef has already turned tender, remove it before reducing the sauce further so the meat does not overcook.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long should I cook beef rendang?

Rendang is typically cooked slowly for about 2½ to 4 hours until the beef becomes tender and the sauce thickens.

Why do I need to stir more often later in cooking?

As the coconut milk reduces, the sauce becomes thicker and can burn easily at the bottom of the pot.

Can I use packet coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk?

Yes. Fresh coconut milk usually gives better flavour, but packet coconut milk works well and is more convenient.

Can I cook the rendang until it is drier?

Yes. Simply continue cooking until more liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens further.

How do I know when the beef is tender?

The beef should be soft enough to break apart easily with a fork.

What can I do if the base of my rendang is burnt?

Don’t panic. If it burns, just remove the burnt part and continue cooking. It’s ok if it is brown/golden brown colour as it is Maillard reaction of amino acids and sugar and that creates flavour. Only discard if it turns black.

This Beef Rendang Tok dish does require a lot of patience, but it’s one of those dishes that is incredibly satisfying. As the rendang slowly cooks, the spices, coconut milk, and beef come together to create a deeply fragrant and flavourful dish. I hope you and your family get to enjoy this dish together. Wishing you and your family Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

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