Indonesian Beef Rendang (Rendang Sapi) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

500 g beef
4 cups coconut milk (made from 1 coconut if using freshly granted coconut)
2 bay leaves (Indonesian usually use Salam leaves)
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stalk lemongrass
2 fresh turmeric, leaves (optional)
4 cm cinnamon sticks
4 red chilies, sliced (you can add more if you wish)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar or 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
8 shallots, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3 cm ginger
3 cm galangal, peeled and sliced (laos)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
2 cm turmeric

Preparation

Grind or blend shallot, garlic, ginger, galangal, peppercorn and turmeric into paste.
Cut the beef into small but thick slices square.
Put the beef, spice paste and all other ingredients into a wok and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly to prevent the coconut milk from separating. Cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the meat is very tender and all the sauce has evaporated.
Continue cooking the beef, which will fry in the oil that has come out from the coconut milk, until brown.
Serve with warm Basmati or Jasmine plain rice.