Recipe: Chef Ismail's Ayam Rendang Rembau

Chef Dato' Ismail shares with us his recipe for ayam rendang Rembau, a dish originating from his hometown, Rembau in Negeri Sembilan.

Chef Ismail tells us that the original, authentic ayam rendang Rembau is very spicy. For the original recipe, you need 200g red bird eye chillies (cili padi), but you may want to reduce it to 65g (he used 65g when he prepared the rendang for us in the cooking demo and the spiciness level was just nice for me).

For this dish, it is best to use ayam kampung since the meat has more resistance. If using other type of chicken, you may want to remove the chicken after 45 minutes or the meat may disintegrate into the sauce. Thicken the sauce, and then only put the chicken back 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe can also be substituted with beef. If using beef, choose a cut with more resistance such as topside.




Ayam Rendang Rembau
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves 10


Ingredients (A)
1.5 kg chicken, cut into 16 pieces
1.5kg thick coconut milk (santan)
2 tsp turmeric powder
3 stalks lemongrass, crushed and shredded
60g cili boh
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp QBB Ghee (can be substituted with 1 tbsp of cooking oil)

Ingredients (B)
Blended spices (the equivalent of 1 tbsp marsala powder)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 cardamom
3 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon
1 star anise, seeds removed

Ingredients (C)
Blended ingredients
200g red bird eye chillies (you can reduce this if you do not like it too spicy - start with 65g)
4-5cm turmeric
4 cloves garlic
3 shallots


1. Firstly, place all spices in Ingredients (B) in a frying pan and lightly toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then place in blender and blend until fine, then sift.

2. Place Ingredients (C) in a blender with some water and blend until you get a paste.

3. In a large wok, heat ghee / oil and saute the blended spices until fragrant. Add the blended ingredients (paste) and stir well.

4. Add chicken, lemongrass, cili boh, and turmeric powder. Stir until well combined and dry.

5. Stir in coconut milk and cook over medium low heat until sauce is thick. This will take approximately 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours. If you're not using a non-stick wok, you will need to give this a stir to avoid the sauce from sticking to the pan. Season with salt.

6. Serve warm with rice.

*This post was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 21 August 2012.