Chicken Rendang Food

CHICKEN RENDANG

Steps:

• All all the ingredients of the Spice Paste in a food processor. Blend well.
• Heat the oil in a skillet, add the Spice Paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom pods and stir-fry them until aromatic. Add the chicken and lemongrass, stir to combine well with the spices. Add the coconut milk, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the chicken is almost cooked.
• Add the kaffir lime leaves, toasted coconut, stir to blend well with the chicken. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and slowly simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the liquid has dried up. Add more sugar and salt to taste to taste. Serve immediately.

INSTANT POT CHICKEN RENDANG (RENDANG AYAM)

Steps:

• Make the spice paste. Blitz the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, fresh chiles, chili powder and salt in a food processor until a coarse paste forms. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen the paste as needed.
• Select SAUTÉ and set to MEDIUM/NORMAL. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the pot is hot, add the spice paste, stir and cook until it turns a few shades darker, and the oil separates from the paste forming two distinct layers, 3 to 4 minutes. If the paste starts to burn at any time, adjust to LOW/LESS. Press CANCEL.
• Scoop the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk into a bowl. Pour ¾ cup of the thin coconut milk into the pot. Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and coconut sugar. Mix well, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any cooked-on bits and avoid the BURN warning.
• Coat both sides of the chicken with sauce. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, preferably in one layer.
• Lock the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL and set to HIGH for 10 minutes. Make sure the steam release valve is sealed. Once pressurized (10 to 12 minutes), the cook cycle will start.
• While the chicken is cooking, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it turns light brown and aromatic, about 3 minutes. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated or frozen.)
• When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally (20 to 30 minutes). When the float valve drops, press CANCEL and open the lid.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a plate. Cut it up into smaller pieces if you like, but don't shred it. Tent with foil to keep warm.
• Select SAUTÉ and set to MEDIUM/NORMAL. Add the remaining coconut cream and milk and ¾ of the toasted coconut and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. If you'd like a drier rendang, simmer the sauce until reduced by about one-third, 10 to 15 minutes. Note that the sauce will thicken as it cools. Remove the herbs.
• Add the chicken back to the sauce and adjust to LOW/LESS to heat the chicken through.
• Garnish with the remaining shredded coconut and serve with steamed rice and a vegetable side dish. Or let it sit in the refrigerator overnight-rendang always tastes better the next day!

AROMATIC CHICKEN RENDANG

Steps:

• Pulse the shallots, ginger, galangal root, chillies and sliced lemongrass, adding enough of coconut cream to make a thick paste.
• Heat oil in a thick-bottomed non-stick saucepan till medium hot. Stirfry the shallot paste for 2 minutes. Add turmeric and smashed lemongrass stalks. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add meat pieces. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
• Add rest of coconut cream. Cook on medium-low heat till meat is done and quite tender, and curry sauce is very thick (you're lucky if the timing of both coincide!). Scrape bottom of pan every 2 minutes with spatula to ensure curry does not burn. If curry is getting dry before meat is tender, add a bit of water.
• Cooking time varies with size and cuts of meat. When curry is thick and almost dry, add fried dessicated coconut, brown sugar, salt and kaffir lime leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with plain boiled rice, preferably jasmine or basmati variety. Yummm!

CHICKEN RENDANG CURRY

Steps:

• Place all sauce ingredients in a food processor. Process well to form a thick curry paste or sauce.
• Do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chilli. If too sour, add a little more brown sugar.
• Place sauce in a wok or large, deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and stir well.
• Continue stirring occasionally as you bring the curry to a boil. Then reduce heat to a bare simmer. Do not cover the wok/frying pan, as you want the sauce to reduce and become thicker.
• Allow the curry to simmer (stirring occasionally) for up to one hour, or until meat is cooked and tender. The sauce will reduce, so that it is almost like a coating on the meat (plus there will be a little sauce in the wok/pan).
• Garnish with a sprinkling of shredded coconut and fresh coriander (if desired). Serve hot with jasmine rice.