The Delectable Beef Rendang To Enjoy On A Liveaboard

A delicious Rendang with rice and lemon

Beef rendang is a much-loved dish for the Southeast Asians, particularly the Indonesians, the Malaysians, the Singaporeans, and the Bruneians. The dish is among some of the most favorite Indonesian food enjoyed atop a luxury cruise or a diving liveaboard. Beef rendang is rich with spices and tastes truly delectable. Have you ever tasted some Rendang yourself, back in an Asian restaurant in your home country, or perhaps you’ve had the privilege of traveling to Indonesia yourself to have a taste of the dish? 

What exactly is a “Rendang”?

Do you still remember the whole Masterchef shenanigan that broke the internet just last year? Crispy chicken rendang? Blasphemy! To those who are not familiar with this dish, you may wonder what’s the rage behind it all. 

Rendang is a dish rich in spice and traditionally has dark brown color. The sauce is made with coconut milk, cooked with a diverse variety of spices. This makes rendang one of those dishes delightfully rich with flavor and fragrance. The dish itself originated from the Minangkabau people, who in the present time, inhibited the West Sumatra regency. However, it is much loved across the four countries that have enjoyed rendang for centuries. 

A bowl of Rendang served with a rice

Enjoying an authentic Rendang atop a Liveaboard 

As the salty wind caresses your face and messes your hair, enjoying the authentic rendang with the endless oceans as the backdrop is one of the most delightful experiences you can experience. Going on anIndonesian liveaboard is an excellent way to not only explore the archipelago but also discover the cuisines as well. 


Rendang is much-loved all across Indonesia 

Although the dish is traditionally from West Sumatra, you’re guaranteed to find at least one Rumah Makan Padang in any region you visit Indonesia. This Minangkabau dish is loved throughout the archipelago. Whether you vacationed in Bali, took a business trip to Jakarta, or flew to Balikpapan, you won’t be short of establishments serving this flavorful dish. Aside from Rumah Makan Padang, lots of hotels and various non-Padang restaurants serve them too!


How do you do it at home? 

While we recommend doing lots of research first and foremost before you decided to cook your own rendang, here we’ll touch upon the general information on what makes rendang, well, rendang. The beef rendang is a slow-cooked dish stew. Unlike some other Indonesian beef dishes, the Rendang uses boneless beef, cut into small pieces. Coconut milk is one of the main ingredients to cook the sauce. Some of the spices used for rendang are ginger, shallots, turmeric leaves, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and chili, among other spices.

Rendang has a delightfully complex taste that proved to be quite memorable for people across the world. This dish is also something that you can save for a long time without any added artificial preservatives when you cook it properly. Some of the spices used in rendang have antimicrobial properties, making them a natural preservative for the dish. 

The liveaboard crew is serving the guests

Something to accompany your bowl of Rendang

The rich taste and thick texture of rendang is best accompanied by something light and refreshing. Fruits such as watermelon, oranges, and apples are great to eat after or even during enjoying your rendang dish. Indonesians have numerous spicy dish and that’s why they refer to fruits as “pencuci mulut”. This makes fruit juices a great beverage option to enjoy with rendang. As for alcohols, some people have recommended merlot to go along with a plate of your nasi lemak, a bowl of rendang, or your gulai.

Bon appétit!