Roti King’s Chicken or Pulled Shiitake Rendang
The secret to this authentic rendang recipe from Roti King is a freshly made spice paste, packed with aromatics that bring fragrance and richness to the knockout coconut-based curry sauce. Add to that your choice of tender chicken thighs or pulled shiitake mushrooms and you've got yourself a truly sensational rendang.
Introduction
We serve a beef version of this at the Roti King restaurants, but chicken works so well with the aromatic spices that I wanted to include a recipe in the Roti King cookbook. Enjoy it with a steaming bowl of coconut rice.
Ingredients
| For the rengang paste: | |
|---|---|
| 2–4 | fresh green chillies (depending on your heat preference), stalks removed |
| 5 | dried Kashmiri chillies, seeds removed |
| 2 | lemongrass sticks, tops cut off and bottoms bashed and roughly chopped |
| 35g (1¼oz) | turmeric |
| 35g (1¼oz) | galangal (or ginger) |
| 1 tbsp | oil |
| For the Chicken Rendang: | |
| 3 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 | cinnamon stick |
| 1 | lemongrass stick, bashed |
| 600g (1lb 5oz) | chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in |
| 1½ tsp | salt |
| 40g (1½oz) | fresh or frozen shredded coconut, or 60g (2¼oz) coconut block |
| 130ml (4fl oz) | coconut milk |
| 2 tsp | dark brown sugar |
| ¼ tsp | coriander seeds |
| ¼ tsp | fennel seeds |
| 6 | lime leaves, stems removed, finely sliced into strips |
| For the Pulled Shiitake Rendang: | |
| 5 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 | cinnamon stick |
| 1 | lemongrass stick, bashed |
| 800g (1lb 12oz) | shiitake, oyster or other mushrooms, thinly sliced |
| 1½ tsp | salt |
| 40g (1½oz) | fresh or frozen shredded coconut, or 60g (2¼oz) coconut block |
| 130ml (4fl oz) | coconut milk |
| 2 tsp | dark brown sugar |
| ¼ tsp | coriander seeds |
| ¼ tsp | fennel seeds |
| 6 | lime leaves, stems removed, finely sliced into strips |
Essential kit
You will need: a blender.
Method
Blitz all of the ingredients for the paste along with 100ml (3½fl oz) of water in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste. Add a little more water to loosen, if needed. If you’re not using this straightaway, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Heat the oil in a large lidded pan over a medium heat, break the cinnamon stick in half and add to the pan with the lemongrass. Add the rendang paste and cook for 5–10 minutes over a low heat, stirring often.
For the chicken rendang
Add the chicken along with the salt, give it a good stir, then reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat, toast the shredded coconut (or coconut block), stirring continuously until it’s golden brown – this should take 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and pound to a paste using a pestle and mortar. If you are using coconut block, there is no need to pound as the consistency should already be smooth.
Add 100ml (3½fl oz) of water to the chicken, stir and cover again. Leave to cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the toasted coconut and the sugar. In a small dry pan, toast the coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant and starting to pop. Remove from the pan and bash roughly using the pestle and mortar. Tip straight into the pan with the chicken.
Add the lime leaves, cook for another 2 minutes and serve.
For the pulled mushroom rendang
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large lidded pan over a medium heat, break the cinnamon stick in half and add to the pan with the lemongrass. Add the rendang paste and cook for 5–10 minutes over a low heat, stirring often.
Add the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons more oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, give it a good stir, then reduce the heat to medium and cover with the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally – you want the mushrooms to catch slightly on the bottom of the pan.
In a separate non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat, toast the shredded coconut (or coconut block) until browned and golden, stirring continuously until it’s golden brown – this should take 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and pound to a paste using a pestle and mortar. If you are using coconut block, there is no need to pound as the consistency should already be smooth.
Add 100ml (3½fl oz) of water to the mushrooms, stir and cover again. Leave to cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the toasted coconut and the sugar. In a small dry pan, toast the coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant and starting to pop. Remove from the pan and bash roughly using the pestle and mortar. Tip straight into the pan with the mushrooms.
Add the lime leaves, cook for another 2 minutes and serve with rice and achar timun, if you like.
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