Curry bases & pastes· VG · GF · DF

Rendang Paste

Name: Rendang Paste
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 8 (120g) shallots; 4 stems (60g) lemongrass; 40g galangal or ginger; 20g fresh turmeric or 4g ground; 8 cloves (40g) garlic; 6 (40g) red chillies; 10 (8g) dried red chillies, soaked; 20g tamarind paste; 10g coriander, cumin, cinnamon; 20g palm or brown sugar; 40ml rapeseed oil

A deep, aromatic Malaysian paste of shallot, chilli, lemongrass, galangal and turmeric, for slow-cooked rendang.

makes 12 cubes, about 29p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/sauces/rendang-paste/

Time: 25 min15 min prep · 10 min cook
Makes: 12 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 29p
Calories per cubeCalories: 61 kcal
A serving: 3 cubes
Spice: 3 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

cubes

8 (120g)shallots
4 stems (60g)lemongrass
40ggalangal or ginger
20gfresh turmeric or 4g ground
8 cloves (40g)garlic
6 (40g)red chillies
10 (8g)dried red chillies, soaked
20gtamarind paste
10gcoriander, cumin, cinnamon
20gpalm or brown sugar
40mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Use it for

Beef rendang: 500g beef, 6 cubes, 400ml coconut milk, slow-cooked 3 hours · 6 cubes; Chicken rendang · 3 cubes; Spicy fried rice · 1 cube

Method

Step 1: Blitz everything except half the oil to a smooth paste.
Step 2: Fry the paste in the remaining oil over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty.
Step 3: Cool completely.
Step 4: Spoon into 30ml trays.
Step 5: Freeze.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	61	0.8g	7.5g	3.3g	0.9g	0.23g
Per 3 cubes	183	2.4g	22.5g	9.9g	2.7g	0.69g

Cook’s notes

Fry straight from frozen in a little oil until fragrant.
Toast 2 tbsp desiccated coconut and stir it in at the end of the rendang for the classic finish.
For a milder paste, leave out the dried chillies.

Use it for

Beef rendang: 500g beef, 6 cubes, 400ml coconut milk, slow-cooked 3 hours · 6 cubes
Chicken rendang · 3 cubes
Spicy fried rice · 1 cube

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
Use from frozen: Fry straight from frozen in a little oil until fragrant. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 3 cubes is a serving: about 183 kcal.

Rendang Paste questions

How do I prepare the lemongrass?

Trim the root end and the dry top, peel off the tough outer layer, then slice the stems thinly. Thin slices blitz into a smooth paste without stringy bits.

Can I make a vegetable rendang with it?

Fry the cubes, then add coconut milk with jackfruit, mushrooms or potatoes and simmer until the sauce reduces and clings. Finish with toasted desiccated coconut.

Why fry the paste before freezing?

Frying cooks out the raw shallot and garlic and brings the spices together. The paste is then quicker to use and gives the rendang a deeper flavour.