BEEF RAWON
For the rempah (to be blended together)
Begin by soaking the seeds for the rempah in boiling hot water for at least 10 minutes and prepare all of the ingredients for the rempah to be blended into a paste.
Roughly peel and chop the onion, peel the garlic, thinly slice the lemongrass and use a blunt knife to peel the skin of both the turmeric and the galangal. Blend all of these into a smooth paste, add a little water if needed.
Prepare the beef by slicing the meat against the grain and chopping it up into equal-sized cubes. You could also ask your butcher to cube the beef for you.
Place the cubed beef into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add enough water to cover the meat (approximately 2 litres of filtered water). Bring this to a boil and allow this to simmer for 1.5hours.
Prepare the buah keluak filling by washing it well and soaking it in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Blend it separately into a smooth paste.
To begin cooking, fry the rempah in a pot large enough to accommodate all of the beef. Fry until it is fragrant and the oil separates.
To this, add smashed lemongrass, the blended buah keluak and tamarind slice and finally add the boiled meat and broth. Adjust the quantity of broth to achieve the desired consistency.
Allow this to simmer for another 20-30 minutes, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Add in the salt and sugar and adjust to taste.
Once ready, Beef Rawon can be served as a feast with the accompanying sides.