Here's another Southeast Asian recipe, specifically a Malaysian one, that you can try! I created this version of the slow cooker chicken rendang curry recipe to make it easier for everyone worldwide to prepare. Whenever I simplify an Asian recipe, which we all know can be pretty laborious, I ensure that the delicious essence and flavors of the dish are still preserved, and the same goes for this scrumptious rendang.
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavor - Tender, flavourful chicken with creamy curry lemongrass sauce. Yes, rendang is slightly different from other curries as it has a very significant delicious citrus-like lemongrass flavor.
Level - Super easy; let the slow cooker do the work for ya!
Size - 6 people.
Occasion - Whenever you fancy a different curry to impress your family and friends.
Why This Recipe Works
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is made so that it'll be more accessible and doable for everybody. Regardless of whether you're in Asia and surrounded by an abundance of Asian ingredients or just passionate about food, you would love to try this dish that's so famous in countries like Malaysia.
This rendang is different from the traditional rendang as it is simplified in 2 ways:
- The recipe itself uses ingredients that are more common and easier to find.
- The cooking method is way more straightforward, just like our slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew (rabo de toro), as you don't need to babysit it for several hours.
Despite being a simplified recipe, this rendang is so amazingly delicious because it still preserves all the essence flavors of a traditional rendang. We've also simplified but still preserved the essence of pho in our easy beef pho recipe and laksa in our quick Penang asam laksa!
Lets Talk Ingredients
Curry powder—Use whichever you have. If you like it spicier, you can use Madras curry powder.
Lemongrass—You can find it in the frozen section of any Asian store. I grew my own (my mother sent me some fresh lemongrass by post from Malaysia. I planted it and have never run out of it for all these years). If you're using lemongrass paste from a jar, use around ¼ to ⅓ cup of it. Just adjust the salt accordingly because usually, the paste is already with salt.
SUBSTITUTION: Use lemon or lime zest instead. Just add it together with the coconut milk mixture.
- Lemon: Use 1 lemon zest.
- Lime: Use 2 lime zest.
It won't taste the same as lemongrass, but it works.
Galangal—You can also find it in the frozen section in any Asian store. But if you can't find it, omit it. It's fine. It gives the dish an amazing earthy tone, just like in my Malaysian chicken satay and Malaysian satay sauce.
Kefir lime leaves - you can find them either in the fresh veggies section or in the frozen section in any Asian store. You can also use dry ones (double the amount and hydrate in warm water before using). They give the rendang a citrusy touch.
SUBSTITUTION: Lime or lemon zest would work. Zest ½ lemon or one lime and add it to the coconut milk mixture. Again, it's not going to taste the same, but it'll do. There's no need to add it if you're already using zest to substitute lemongrass.
Turmeric leaves—Lend a wonderful aromatic smell to rendang. Quite difficult to get (once I grew them myself). Skip if you don't have it.
Cayenne pepper—Optional. This is for the heat. You can use chili powder or chili flakes; it doesn't matter.
Do I Need To Cook The Base?
Yes, and it will be worth those 10 minutes of your time.
Cooking the base adds that depth of flavor to your rendang. The umami kick that we're looking for. I've tried not cooking the base first, and personally, there was just something lacking, you know.
But hey, if you don't want to, then don't. Your choice.
How To Thicken The Sauce?
As we all know, cooking with a slow cooker always results in quite a watery dish. And that is a super no-no for rendang curry. In this recipe, we're using minimal liquid to begin with. We will have more liquid from the chicken as it cooks.
To thicken the liquid, we will use corn starch mixed with coconut milk and let everything cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.
What To Eat It With?
Oh, this is fun!
In my family, a rendang should always be accompanied by glutinous rice. It can be steamed glutinous rice with turmeric or simply plain.
Of course, that's not all. You can still enjoy it with rice, bread, or something to soak up the wonderful sauce. Oh, la la!
More Malaysian Recipes
- Beef rendang
- Chicken rendang the traditional way
- Quick red curry laksa in 20 minutes
- Savoury pancake bites (kuih cara berlauk)
- Quick Penang noodle soup (asam laksa)
- Net pancakes (roti jala)
Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Rendang Curry
Ingredients
The Paste
- 6 lemongrass , thinly sliced
- 1 onion , chopped roughly
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ thumb sized galangal , chopped roughly
- 1 ½ thumb sized ginger , chopped roughly
The Spices
- 2 lemongrass , bruised
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamoms
- 3 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
The Main
- ⅓ cup water (80 ml)
- 4 turmeric leaves , thinly sliced
- 15 kefir lime leaves , thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2.2 lb chicken legs, bone in & skinless (1 kg)
Seasoning And Thickening
- 1 cup coconut milk (250 ml)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ lime , take the juice
Instructions
The Base
- Blend all the paste ingredients in a grinder into a fine paste. Use a splash of water if needed to help the blending process. You might need to do this is batches, depending on how big your grinder is. Set aside.
- We'll start with the spices ingredients. Heat a pan on medium heat with some oil. Add in bruised lemongrass, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms and star anise. Cook until the spices release their fragrances.
- Add in the rest of the spices ingredients together with the blended paste and continue cooking for 10 minutes, until the paste becomes thick. Stir now and then.
Cooking
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker pot with some oil. Add in cooked base and the all of the main ingredients except chicken. Mix everything well. Now add in the chicken and coat the pieces well with the mixture.
- Close the lid. Cook on high setting for 2 hours. Gently give everything a mix with a spatula and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on high setting with the lid on.
Seasoning And Thickening
- Add coconut milk and corn starch into a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Remove the slow cooker lid. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the pot together followed by lime juice. Gently mix everything well. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes on high setting without the lid, until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with some steamed glutinous rice or white rice. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Nov 22, 2018. Updated with improved text, recipe and pictures on Apr 12, 2021.
Pip Heywood says
Absolutely amazing!!!! I used jarred lemongrass (T TSP in paste and nothing in the base) and didn't have the right leaves. Am sure that makes it even better but BOY, this did not disappoint on flavour!!!
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're so excited to hear that, Pip! Thanks for leaving your feedback and sharing your version on it!
Gaelle says
Hi! If I'm lucky enough to have found kerisik, at what point should I put it in? Thank youuuu!
Bea says
Hi Gaelle! With a slow cooker, I'd put it together with the coconut milk. And if you give up hunting for kerisik 😅, you can make your own. Here's how to make homemade kerisik. Hope it helps!
Jennifer says
Can one use diced chicken instead of legs etc.for this recipe?
Regards
Jennifer
Bea says
Yes, you can. Although it'll be less flavourful without the bone. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
Jennifer says
Hi Bea can the same recipe be used to make a beef rendang?
Regards
Jennifer
Bea says
Hi Jennifer! Yes, you can but adjust the cooking time accordingly as usually beef takes longer to get tender. Hope it helps.
Jennifer says
Thanks Bea. Will give it a try.
Kind regards
Jennifer
Purvi says
Can this be made in the Insta pot? If yes what would the settling and cook time be?
Bea says
Hi Puri! I haven't tested it in instant pot so I can't safely say. But I'm assuming the setting would be "Slow cooker" and setting "High". If it works the same as slow cooker then I guess the cooking time should be the same. Let me know how it goes!
Lesya says
Brilliant recipe, we thoroughly enjoyed it. I was only able to find frozen lemongrass but it still worked. Thank you!
Bea says
Awesome! Yes, frozen lemongrass works great (I freeze mine so that they last longer). Glad that you enjoyed it, thank you Lesya!
Alex says
Thoughts on adding potatoes?
Annie says
Just made this. Recipe to die for, full of flavour. Only had dried kaffir lime leaves and didn’t have turmeric leaves but it turned out great. Will be making this again. X
Bea says
Awesome! I've also made rendangs with only kefir lime leaves and they turned out as delicious even without the turmeric leaves. Tips: double the kefir lime leaves if you don't have turmeric leaves 😉 . Thank so you much for your feedback Annie! XOXO
ChrisFromNY says
I've never made such an aromatic and flavorful dish like this before, Bea. I never used lime leaves, or galangal, or even lemongrass -- but this was so tasty, and I'll definitely be making this again. The only thing I didn't have was the turmeric leaves. I think next time I will try grinding the star anise, cardamoms and cloves in a mortar and pestle before I add to the pan. Thank you so much for sharing, you are enriching my palate.
Bea says
No worries about the turmeric leaves Chris. The ones I used in the recipe came from my small garden and I don't use them in most of my rendangs because they're so difficult to find. You can add more kefir lime leaves if you plan to make it next time. Yes, you can grind the spices or place them in a cheesecloth ( I should do the same as I always tell people before eating, "There are loose cloves, cardamom and etc in this dish, just saying..". Haha!). Thank you so much Chris!
yati says
can i use noxxa slow cooker?
Bea says
I don't have a Noxxa but I would say slow cookers are generally the same. I use high setting in mine, so if you can find the equivalent of it in yours then yes, of course you can.