Don’t be afraid of making curries. Once you have the ingredients they are some of the freshest, easiest and fastest recipes to make.
Ingredients
For the paste
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 red bullet chillies
2 French shallots
1 teaspoon of galangal, peeled and finely chopped
6 candlenuts
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Rice bran oil for cooking
Other
2 x 565 gram cans of green jackfruit in brine
5 cloves
7 lime leaf pieces
2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised with the back of a knife
2 sticks of cinnamon
2 ½ cups of coconut milk
2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
3 tablespoons of organic tamari
1 ½ tablespoons of Massel beef stock powder
1 tablespoon of Sriracha hot chilli sauce
Method
Blend the paste ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor, until they are well combined and become a paste. Put a small amount of oil into medium pot. Scrape the paste into the pot. Cook it for a few minutes, on a low heat till fragrant.
Drain the jackfruit and discard the brine. Cut each of the jackfruit pieces lengthwise into 3 – 4 wedges. Add the jackfruit and the remaining ingredients to the pot with the paste. Bring it to the boil. Reduce it to a low simmer, Place a lid on the pot and cook *gently*for 45 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon and lemongrass once the rendang is cooked and serve.
Serving suggestion
Serve with steamed rice and Asian greens. Garnish with loads of fresh coriander.
Yields: 4 small serves
Time: 15 minutes of preparation. 45 – 50 minutes cooking time.
Notes: Candlenuts are highly toxic when raw. It is essential that they are cooked before being eaten. They are used in Asian cuisine to thicken sauces. You can purchase candlenuts from Asian and specialty grocers. Alternatively you can substitute with macadamia nuts
You can also purchase jackfruit from Asian or specialty grocers. It is sold in cans. Ensure that it is unripe jackfruit and in brine (NOT syrup). Potatoes, tofu, beans and other vegetables work well as a substitute for jackfruit in this recipe though too.
Jars of lime leaf pieces can be found in most supermarkets.
Make sure you shake the cans of coconut milk before you measure out your 2 ½ cups!
Sriracha hot chilli sauce is found in most Asian grocers and some supermarkets.
