Malaysian Lamb Rendang

4.49 from 39 votes
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Malaysian Lamb Rendang - Malaysian lamb rendang stew are so aromatic and tasty. Follow this easy recipe to make the best lamb rendang ever!

Lamb rendang served in a silver platter.
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It has been more than three years since I posted my Beef Rendang recipe.

I am pleasantly surprised that to this day I still get the occasional inquiry and request with regards to protein substitution, alternative cooking methods, or the usage of a different spice mix to make the paste.

Especially after September of last year, when Rendang topped the readers’ choice list of CNN’sWorld’s 50 Most Delicious Foods.

I am guessing that should be a plausible factor as to why Rendang suddenly scrambled on to a lot of people’s “to-cook” list.

Malaysian rendang lamb coated with homemade rendang paste.

South-East Asian stews and curries are unique with their own distinctive tastes and names.

Rendang, Panang, Kari Ayam, Massaman, just to name a few.

All in all they share different takes and preferences on blended spices and other fragrant aromatics.

For those of you who have yet to be acquainted with the exotic delicacy that is Rendang, it is in a nutshell, a mildly spicy, rich and flavorful, semi-dry curry that is popular throughout the South-East Asian region, especially in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

And it is one of the main dishes that is served during Malay weddings and festivities.

This delicacy is especially dear to my heart because it brings back fond memories of how my mom used to break out her cache of spices tucked neatly away in an airtight Tupperware container marked “Rendang” and carefully measure each and every spice with her traditional mini brass metal kitchen scales that resemble an upright stickman dangling a wok on each hand.

As I’ve pointed out back in my Beef Rendang post, no two Rendang can turn out the exact same way.

Mainly due to the varying amount of spices used and the ever crucial reduction process to allow the absorption of the spices into the meat yet not over-drying it.

This time around, I am going to make Rendang using lamb, with a slight variation of the spices, and braising it in a crock pot/slow cooker.

This was actually quite a leap for me as my preferred method have always been to stew it on the stovetop.

But lo and behold, it turned out to be every bit as scrumptious as depicted.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is 1054 calories per serving.

Tender and soft lamb rendang.

What To Serve With Malaysian Lamb Rendang

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.49 from 39 votes

Malaysian Lamb Rendang

Malaysian Lamb Rendang.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Equipment

  • 1 Crock Pot

Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 lbs (750g) boneless leg of lamb, or beef or chicken, cut into cubes
  • 7 tablespoons oil
  • 1/4 piece turmeric leaf, optional, thinly shredded
  • 10 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2-inch length (5 cm)
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
  • salt and sugar to taste

Spice Paste:

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 10 dried red chilis, soaked in warm water and seeds removed
  • 5 fresh red chilis, seeds removed
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, lightly smashed
  • 7 shallots , or 1 small red onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 inch (1cm) ginger, peeled
  • 1/2 inch (1cm) galangal, lengkuas, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon corriander seeds
  • 1 candlenut, lightly smashed
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions 

  • Plug in the crock pot or slow cooker and set it to High. Blend all the Spice Paste ingredients in a food processor until finely mixed. Scoop it out and set aside. Season the lamb cubes with a little salt and set them aside as well.
  • In a wok, heat up some oil and stir-fry the turmeric leaf and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.
  • Turn heat to slightly medium-high, add blended Spice Paste, stir-fry until fragrant, or until color changes for 5 minutes.
  • Add the lamb cubes to the wok and stir well, cooking for an additional 5 minutes until the lamb is browned and coated with the spice mixture.
  • Pour in the coconut milk and toasted coconut, bringing the mixture to a quick boil. Turn off the heat and transfer all the contents from the wok into the crock pot. Cover and braise for 1 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender and infused with flavors.
  • Remove the pot cover and stir the contents, checking that the dish isn't too dry and that the lamb is tender to your liking. This should take about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is perfectly tender. Turn off the heat and unplug the crock pot, allowing the dish to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. During this time, the sauce will reduce and thicken slightly. Your Lamb Rendang is now ready to serve with steamed white rice or coconut rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 1054kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 95g, Saturated Fat: 37g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Monounsaturated Fat: 39g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 707mg, Potassium: 1024mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 869IU, Vitamin C: 87mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





34 Comments

  1. Juwanda says:

    4 stars
    one of the best rendang recipes i have madeโ€ฆ.made for my staff over raysโ€ฆamazing.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks for trying this rendang recipe!

  2. Carmen says:

    Hi Bee, My crock pot has a low and high temperature setting. Which one should I use? And for how long? Thanks!

  3. Emmeline says:

    Hey Bee,

    It’s me again! :-) YES, I just made this again – 4th time now, I gotta say your rendang recipe is the best ever! Did two portions this time, one beef and one lamb – coz my boss doesn’t eat beef, so that’s why did the lamb and bringing it into the office on Tuesday.

    Your recipe has made me the Rendang Queen. :-))
    Thanks heaps!!!!! xoxo

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Emmeline, that’s great to know! Thanks for trying my rendang recipe.

  4. morgan says:

    I left the lamb in the slow cooker for 1.5 hours, but it was not super tender. Maybe its like pork where it can get a little tough at first, but if you cook it longer it will eventually relax and become tender? I also used chunks of lamb leg meat so maybe that is a bit tougher? Also, after the cooking, there was still SO much liquid that it never evaporated really.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Cook longer and also you can reduce the liquid by transferring it out and finish in a pot.

  5. Lilian Ee says:

    Can I subsitute coconut milk with youghurt?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes.

  6. Siew Leng says:

    Hi Bee, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I have been trying to replicate this dish ever since I tasted it at my fav nasi padang stall. Went through many recipe books without success until I stumbled upon your site. Now I can make this dish anytime my craving strikes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

  7. Espen says:

    Simply fantastic, great recipe! I also ate way to much, it was painful :-) Thanks from Oslo

  8. Pui See says:

    Thanks Bee, for this recipe. I love your blog and made this recently in a church dinner. My friends love it! One of my friends even said ‘it tastes like homeeee!’ God Bless you

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks!

  9. Emmeline Yeo says:

    Hi Bee,

    I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to you for teaching us this recipe on the Beef Rendang. I made this for our church group’s Easter picnic (mind you, all the aunties and uncles in this group are very experienced cooks in their own right!) and they all raved that my rendang was amazing! What a great feeling that was. I can’t take all the credit, as I have to accredit that to your well crafted recipe and guidance.

    I followed your instructions carefully, but I also added more chillies, and doubled the portions of overall ingredients as I was cooking for 32 people who could stomach very spicy Asian food. Haha! When they found out I made my own rempah, they were astounded! LoL!

    Thank you so much for your generous sharing of recipes and dedication to this website, and your uncompromising commitment to preserving authenticity, especially in Nonya cooking and other traditional recipes (in a world that has one too many quick and adulterated shortcuts these days) which is something I truly respect and admire, and hope you will keep up! :-))

    Looking forward to impressing others with more of your recipes!

    P.S. So glad your website is back to normal and no more Deer Hunter app game advertisement banners popping up on your home page! Eek, hope I didn’t jinx this by saying it… hehe… ;-)

    Warm Regards,
    Emmeline.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks for your sweet comment. Glad that the Deer Hunter app is gone. :)

  10. question says:

    I don’t have a slow-cooker, what would you recommend in terms of cooking times/heat etc.?

    Thanks!