what does it taste like?

Aromatic and full of flavour, with the zing of lemongrass, pep from galangal and red chilli, the mellow richness of coconut, the earthiness of cinnamon, tangy savoury depth from tamarind and the balmy fragrance of star anise and cardamom.

tips, tricks & hacks

• Use it to make rendang! The dish is usually prepared with slow-cooked beef, but you can use lamb, chicken... whatever you fancy.  
• It doesn’t have to include meat. Make a vegan version using potato, butternut squash, tofu or mushrooms.
• Thin a few teaspoons of the paste with a little oil to use as a marinade for diced chicken breast or chunky cubes of white fish fillet. Roast, then add – tikka style – to a spicy masala to serve with turmeric-yellow rice. 
• Add uncooked basmati rice to a hot tray of roast vegetables, top with double the rice’s volume of boiling water, stir through a good spoonful of Rendang Paste, then seal tightly with foil and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, stand still covered for 10 minutes, then fluff up to serve. 
• Briefly fry a jar of Rendang Paste in a little oil as the first step towards making a fragrant soup with coconut milk, king prawns and purple-sprouting broccoli.

easy meal idea

Oxtail rendang

This often-overlooked cut of beef imbues this fragrant stew with richness over long, slow cooking.  

1. Add oil to a large casserole on a high heat. Add chunks of oxtail and 2 sliced onions and fry briskly for 3-4 minutes until the meat gets some colour, then add a jar of Rendang Paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Tip in 1 tin of coconut milk, along with 50ml water. Transfer to a 160C/gas 2 oven for 2 hours. 
   
   
2. Remove from the oven and add cubed butternut squash, as well as a splash more water if needed (though bear in mind that rendang is a fairly dry curry). Return to the oven for a further 1 ½ hours.
   
   
3. Remove from the oven, season with lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve with jasmine rice.