Rendang Rigatoni - tradition into fusion
we're not sure if we're offending the nonnas or the neneks with this one... >.<
while some flinch at the idea of Italian pasta with traditional Rendang, we thought that this combination was GENIUS! after all, wouldn't this basically be a Malay / Indonesian version of Ragu Pasta?
this was so heavenly and we came in for seconds because the combination of saucy rendang with pasta came together beautifully. the extra step of introducing the pasta into the sauce and tossing it together in the pot made all the difference - the flavours of the sauce gets soaked into the al dente rigatoni pieces which rounds it all up perfectly.
additionally, Chef Azfar takes the recipe up a notch with a garnishing of sour cream and instant pickled shallots which lends a bright acidity, balancing out the coconutty richness of Rendang.
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Rendang Rigatoni
serves 4
500g beef cheek / brisket / round
3 tbsp oil
1 stick cinnamon
2 star anise
6 cloves
1 litre coconut milk
8-10 lime leaves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
salt, to taste
2 tbsp brown sugar / gula melaka
500gm rigatoni, cooked to al dente
1 cup sour cream (optional)
blended rempah:
10 shallots, peeled
5 garlic cloves, peeled
30g ginger, peeled
25g galangal, peeled
2 stick lemongrass, cut into small pieces
70g red chillies
5 candlenuts, pre-soaked in hot water for 30 mins
quick pickled shallots:
6 shallot, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup rice / cane vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
directions
season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper. in a deep pan, heat oil on medium heat and sear the beef well until it the get a nice browning on all sides. set beef aside.
blend all the rempah ingredients into a smooth paste. in the same pan with the remaining grease, add cinnamon, cloves and star anise and fry for 1 minute. add the rempah and saute while stirring constantly for 8 minutes or until the there is no more raw smell. stir in the coriander powder.
pour in the coconut milk and bring it up to a simmer. place the beef inside along with the lime leaves, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the beef becomes fork tender and tears apart easily. fish out the beef pieces and set them aside.
simmer the gravy until the oil splits form the coconut milk and becomes a thick sauce. meanwhile, shred pull the beef into shreds and return to the rendang sauce. season with salt, ground nutmeg and sugar.
bring in the cooked pasta and toss together to coat the rigatoni in rendang sauce. remove from heat and serve the pasta onto a plate.
garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a few pickled shallot slices*.
*pickling shallots
combine water, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. turn off the heat and immediately pour onto the sliced shallots in a bowl. cover and let the pickling liquid cool down.
if you are looking out for more pasta recipes, you can check out our…
