I’ve never actually had this dish before but I happened to have some extra tamarind and dried lemongrass on hand and realized I could make something with it and this was the recipe I ended up landing on. I suppose I should be less surprised that this was absolutely delicious. I ended up using much more mild chilies (kashmiri chilies to be precise) because that’s what I had on hand. I’m sure that the dish I made isn’t authentic in any sense but I loved playing with these flavors and it made me excited to try more dishes from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Chicken Rendang
Combine all the spice paste ingredients in a spice grinder, blender or mortar until a paste forms. You can add a small amount of water if needed to form a thick paste.
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat and brown the chicken, then remove to a plate.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the spice paste, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes until the paste turns a dark brown.
Add cinnamon, lemongrass, tamarind, brown sugar, salt and any other spices to the pan, cook for 30 seconds and then immediately turn the heat to low add the chicken, stock, and coconut milk and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Before serving adjust the seasoning and add lime juice to taste.