Lamb Rendang with Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

I decided to make lamb rendang today with only the ingredients that are currently in my pantry – so no fresh chilies, shallots, or galangal. Instead, I used dried chilies, yellow onion, and ginger. Thankfully, I had a couple stalks of lemongrass in my freezer. It turned out soooooooo good! I served it with nasi lemak (coconut rice) and leftover roasted cauliflower – absolutely delicious! ❤️

Rendang
16 dried red chilies (1/4 ounce), remove leftover stem end and seeds
2 to 3 yellow onions (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into large chunks
3 slices ginger (1/4 to 3/8 ounce trimmed)
2 stalks lemongrass (1 ounce to 1-1/4 ounces trimmed), cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds lamb stew meat*
1 (13.66 fluid oz) can unsweetened coconut milk plus a bit of water (see instructions)
1-1/2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

*Local friends, I bought the lamb from Chander Hill Farm in Burton. Love it!

1. Place chilies, onions, ginger, and lemon grass in work bowl of food processor; process until finely chopped, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add processed mixture, cook, stirring frequently until fragrant and oil starts to separate or seep out of the mixture, about 10 minutes.
3. Add lamb and cook, stirring to coat with the aromatics, about 5 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk (plus 1/4 cup water I use to rinse out the can), stir to mix, and bring to a simmer. Then, reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally and more frequently towards the end to prevent the curry from sticking and burning. Cook until lamb is tender and almost all liquid has evaporated, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Curry should be thick and oil has separated from the mixture. (Please note that once oil has separated from the mixture, the curry is basically done. Even if there is still a generous amount of gravy left, you can choose to stop reducing the curry or thicken the gravy further.)
5. Add tamarind, salt, and turmeric powder and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Let curry stand for at least ½ hour before serving the very first time to allow flavors to meld. Serve hot/warm. Curry can be refrigerated for several days and flavor appears to get better with time. Enjoy!

Nasi lemak
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 to 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 slices ginger
2 cups white rice
1 cup brown rice
1 (13.66 fluid oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cans water (just use the coconut milk can)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pandan leave, optional

1. Heat oil in a heavy-based 3 or 3½ quart saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly golden brown.
3. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, water, and salt and stir to mix. Finally, place pandan leave on top (if using). Cover and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked and tender (about 40 to 45 minutes).
5. Remove saucepan from the heat source and let the rice rest, covered for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.