Make your own Rendang Ayam (Chicken Rendang) for Hari Raya, or whenever the craving hits! A delicious dry chicken curry that’s rich in flavor.
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Welcome to the final day of my Ramadan 2023 Series! To wrap up the series for this Ramadan month, today I’ll be sharing a dish that’s often enjoyed during Hari Raya (Eid Al-Fitr) in Malaysia. It’s the classic rendang ayam.
For Hari Raya, it’s customary for you to visit the houses of your close relatives and friends, and indulge in the spread of food that was prepared for the occasion. More often than not, you will find a variation of rendang as part of that spread.
What Is Rendang Ayam?
Rendang ayam is a dry chicken curry made from coconut milk, spices, and aromatics like garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. The rendang dish is of Indonesian origin, but is also savored by Malaysians and Singaporeans as well.
You can serve it with white rice, or have a go with nasi lemak, nasi impit (compressed rice) or lemang (rice bamboo)!
Aside from chicken, there are other types of rendang available too, like fish and shrimp. And the most popular would be the beef rendang.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Unsweetened grated coconut
- Chicken: cut into smaller pieces – I used chicken quarters
- Canned coconut milk
- Salt
- Sugar
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin powder
- Coriander powder
Rendang paste
- Large onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Lemongrass, minced: I used frozen but you can use the fresh one too
- Dried chili
- Cashews (optional)
- Water
how to make rendang ayam (chicken rendang)
- Blend the ingredients listed into a paste and set aside for later.
- Over medium heat, toast the shredded coconut in a pan until golden brown (10-15 minutes).
- In a pot, pour in enough oil to cover the bottom. Heat it up over medium heat. Once hot enough, pour in the blended paste and add turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Stir until well combined.
- Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until oil “splits (oil peeks through the surface) — make sure to stir occasionally.
- Add chicken, coconut milk, salt and sugar. Stir until everything is well combined. Add the toasted coconut and stir.
- Let it cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes, making sure to stir (including the bottom) every 3-4 minutes so the bottom doesn’t burn. You want to cook until the “sauce” thickens and the chicken is well cooked.
- Serve while hot with white rice, nasi impit or lemang. Enjoy!
Notes For Rendang Ayam (Chicken Rendang)
- Soak dried chili peppers in hot water for a few minutes to rehydrate it before blending it with the rest of the ingredients.
- Kerisik or the toasted coconut used in rendang is usually in ground form but I like the texture that it gives to the rendang as is. If you want a smoother sauce, feel free to grind the toasted coconut in a food processor before adding it to the rendang.
- It’s very important for the paste to cook through and the oil splits. Otherwise, the sambal will taste raw and bitter. To prevent this, it is important to use enough oil and to taste the sambal at the end. If it’s not cooked through, keep cooking it over medium or medium low, stirring occasionally.
More Hari Raya Recipes
- Roti Jala (Net Crepes)
- Malaysian Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)
- Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup)
- Honey Cornflakes Cups
- Kuih Bahulu with Chocolate (Malay Egg Sponge Cake)
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Rendang Ayam (Chicken Rendang)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened grated coconut
- 4 lb chicken cut into smaller pieces – I used chicken quarters
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk
- 3/4 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
Rendang paste
- 2 large onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tbsp minced lemongrass I used frozen but you can use the fresh one too
- 1/2 cup dried chili adjust to preference – see notes for rehydrating instruction
- 1/4 cup cashews optional
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Blend the ingredients listed into a paste and set aside for later.
- Over medium heat, toast the shredded coconut in a pan until golden brown (10-15 minutes).
- In a pot, pour in enough oil to cover the bottom. Heat it up over medium heat. Once hot enough, pour in the blended paste and add turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Stir until well combined.
- Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until oil "splits (oil peeks through the surface) — make sure to stir occasionally.
- Add chicken, coconut milk, salt and sugar. Stir until everything is well combined. Add the toasted coconut and stir.
- Let it cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes, making sure to stir (including the bottom) every 3-4 minutes so the bottom doesn't burn. You want to cook until the "sauce" thickens and the chicken is well cooked.
- Serve while hot with white rice, nasi impit or lemang. Enjoy!
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