If you've seen the viral clips of coconut milk being cooked down until it splits, turns golden and smells like caramel and toasted spice, you've seen the start of a rendang. It's one of the oldest tricks in Indonesian cooking, and chicken rendang is the perfect way to try it at home without the long cook time beef rendang needs.
The process is patient but simple: a fragrant spice paste is fried, coconut milk is added, and the whole pot is left to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally as the liquid reduces. As it cooks down, the oil separates from the coconut solids and the sauce slowly caramelises around the chicken, deepening in colour and flavour with every stir.
It looks like a lot of steps written out, but it's really just 'add, simmer, stir occasionally' — the coconut milk and spice paste do all the real work.
