Beef Rendang

[JustKay]

So I attempted kerisik this weekend.  It seems that you have pound the toasted coconut in small batches (my mortar is small).   Any way around this?

Can you store the unpounded toasted coconut (so I can pound only the amount that I need).  Is there an advantage to to pounding the coconut as needed as opposed to pounding all of it and storing the kerisik?

Thanks.

I use the dry spice mill that comes with my blender. Not sure if the blenders in the US comes with this addition.

You can store the toasted coconut but cooled toasted coconut is harder (chewier) to pound. While hot, it's crunchier and therefore easier to pound. Also, you will be able to get the oil out and make a nice paste-y kerisik. Just re-toast the coconut in a wok over very low heat until heated through.

You may use a blender with the addition of some cooking oil to aid the process. But you will end up with a lot of oil in your dish (you'll have to adjust the measurement of your kerisik too). You will also need a still very sharp blender blades to effectively ground the coconut; otherwise you will get coarser kerisik and not a smooth paste which will result in too gritty a dish. You may skim the oils out after cooking if you do this method.

However, of course, the grinding of toasted coconut alone makes the better kerisik.

Another tip when using the mortar and pestle, every so often use a grinding motion in between the pounding. Using a granite mortar is a lot better than the white mortar as this one is too smooth and the pestle is not as heavy.

I hope that helps.

Edited June 8, 2004 by kew (log)

[tryska]

so kerisik is sorta like..coconut butter, huh?

(didn't do any cooking this weekend...i'm on the verge of an ear infection i think)

[JustKay]

so kerisik is sorta like..coconut butter, huh?

(didn't do any cooking this weekend...i'm on the verge of an ear infection i think)

"Coconut butter is the same as coconut oil. Its melting point is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is solid, it is referred to as coconut butter and when it is melted it is referred to as coconut oil. "

No, kerisik is not coconut butter.

You make coconut oil from coconut milk. Simmer long enough, coconut milk will separate into two things - oil and 'oil-waste' which looks not unlike curds.

Kerisik is essentially the coconut meat with contains coconut milk within. When coconut meat is toasted and grounded, some oil (milk) will come out of it. Both the grounded toasted coconut meat as well as the oil makes up what is called kerisik.

I hope that explains kerisik further.

(Sorry about your not being well. Wishing you a speedy recovery.)

edited to add: how to make coconut oil

Interesting .... the 'oil-waste' I mentioned above is a direct translation from the Malay language but in this site it is referred to as 'coconut sugar'. It doesn't taste sweet though, but rather creamy. It is usually left to brown in the coconut oil itself and used as a topping on Malay 'cakes'.

Edited June 8, 2004 by kew (log)

[tryska]

no i meant....like if one were to prepare cocnut in the style of peanut butter. (i had no idea there actually was a coconut butter).

you take roasted peanuts and grind them up until their..well..peanut butter. seems like you do the same thing with coconut flesh.

Edited June 8, 2004 by tryska (log)

[JustKay]

no i meant....like if one were to prepare cocnut in the style of peanut butter. (i had no idea there actually was a coconut butter).

you take roasted peanuts and grind them up until their..well..peanut butter. seems like you do the same thing with coconut flesh.

LOL! Okay .... I see what you mean.

Yes, then ...like the grounded roasted peanut 'giving' out some oil, so would the roasted coconut meat.

[tryska]

exactly.

[bbq4meanytime]

so kerisik is sorta like..coconut butter, huh?

(didn't do any cooking this weekend...i'm on the verge of an ear infection i think)

"Coconut butter is the same as coconut oil. Its melting point is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is solid, it is referred to as coconut butter and when it is melted it is referred to as coconut oil. "

No, kerisik is not coconut butter.

You make coconut oil from coconut milk. Simmer long enough, coconut milk will separate into two things - oil and 'oil-waste' which looks not unlike curds.

Kerisik is essentially the coconut meat with contains coconut milk within. When coconut meat is toasted and grounded, some oil (milk) will come out of it. Both the grounded toasted coconut meat as well as the oil makes up what is called kerisik.

I hope that explains kerisik further.

(Sorry about your not being well. Wishing you a speedy recovery.)

edited to add: how to make coconut oil

Interesting .... the 'oil-waste' I mentioned above is a direct translation from the Malay language but in this site it is referred to as 'coconut sugar'. It doesn't taste sweet though, but rather creamy. It is usually left to brown in the coconut oil itself and used as a topping on Malay 'cakes'.

I actually just off the phone with my mom about the coconut oil thing . On the island, they extract the milk and heat it until the oil separates out, just like you describe. She didn't have a name for the "oil-waste" (as you call it), but said they strained it out.

There is another way to make "cold-pressed" coconut oil by allowing the unheated milk to ferment and separate out. The oil base is then heated slightly to remove any moisture. Some pacific cultures use this method, but the peeps of the motherland island didn't use this approach.

[spaghetttti]

This is what we had for dinner, it was Padang take-out from Simpang Raya:

Fish head curry

Steamed cassava leaves

Coconut rice

Rendang

Anchovies with chili and pete (stinky beans)

The rendang is typical restaurant fare, it's wet and the beef chunks are way too huge. Homemade is far, far better and should never look like this.

[spaghetttti]

I forgot to upload and post this green chili pepper sambal. It's swimming in oil, but eaten with hot coconut rice and the cassava leaves, mmmmmm!!!

Sorry, it's kinda blurry, but it was the last picture I took before my batteries decided they wanted to be recharged!

[tryska]

wow...beautiful pictures!

i love that anchovies in chili are called "stinky beans".

And yes the rendang i've had looks nothing like that actually. Well the restaurant rendang i like anyway.

[Packo]

tryska,

Check out my website www.malaysianfood.net

The Beef Rendang recipe I have is very US-friendly... ingredients are easily available.

ENJOY!

[tryska]

omg Packo! i was at your site just a couple of weeks ago, when i was researching roti canai! very nice website, and very helpful too. :-)

[Laksa]

i love that anchovies in chili are called "stinky beans".

tryska,

I believe the stinky beans that spaghetttti refers to are "pete" or what Malaysians call "petai". You can see them in the picture, they're the green colour stuff, partly obscured. These beans are delicious, but make your pee smell like it came straight from hell. Similar to the effect you achieve by eating asparagus.

[JustKay]

I believe the stinky beans that spaghetttti refers to are "pete" or what Malaysians call "petai".

Google for "Parkia speciosa Hassk" to read more about this wonderful Petai.

In Malaysia, there are 4 species available : Petai kerayung = Parkia javanica, Petai meranti = Parkia singularis, Petai Biasa atau Petai Papan = parkia speciosa and Petai Nering =Parkia Sumatrana.