Rendang Daging Vegetarian / Mock Meat Rendang

A couple weeks ago, I had vegetarian family come for dinner. Having spent few years in Medan our Indian family friends love Indonesian food. Amongst other Indonesian vegetarian food we made this famous rendang, except the meat is mock meat. I know they never had meat before and the taste is and flavour no where near real beef, but I the texture just perfect. Mock meat has its own taste and it is quite pleasant, specially after being slow cooked and marinated in rendang spices, it is very good. They did enjoy the vegetarian rendang. 

Vegetarian fish and meat come in different shape and taste, trying to imitate the real thing. This is suitable for people who just changed the life style into vegetarian for health reason or environmental. The main ingredients of this mock meat is soy protein and mushroom, while others are made of gluten.

In Medan you can find this vegetarian fish or meat in Berastagi Supermarket  in frozen counter.

Though I am not a vegetarian, I do enjoy vegetarian food. There are few vegetarian restaurants in Medan and our favourite:  Rasa Medan in Jl. Air Langga, Love Hut in Jalan Mataram and Lucky King in Jalan Sumatra (only serve vegetarian buffet on certain day.)

Bahan - bahan / the ingredients

1 kg daging vegetarian

1 kg mock meat

4 lembar daun salam

4 salam leaves

1 batang daun sereh

1 stalk lemon grass, bruised

7 daun jeruk purut, rajang atau utuh

7 kaffir lime leaves, shredded or whole

4 cm lengkuas, memarkan

4 cm galangal, bruised

2 L  santan dari 2 kelapa

2 L coconut milk from 2 coconut or (1 tin thick coconut milk mix with water to make 2 L)

50 gr kelapa parut, sangrai dan giling halus

50 gr grated coconut, dry fry and finely ground

Minyak untuk menumis

oil for sautéing 

Bumbu gililing / the paste

5 cabe kering besar

5 large dried chilli

5 cabe merah

5 cabe merah

15 bawang merah

15 shallots 

3 bawang putih

3 cloves garlic

4 kemiri

4 candle nuts

4 cm jahe

4 cm fresh ginger

4 cm lengkuas

4 cm galangal

2 sdm ketumbar

2 tbsp corriander seeds

1 sdt jintan

1 tsp cumin

1 batang sereh

1 stalk lemon grass

Cara memasak / preparations

Tumis bumbu yang dihaluskan sampai harum. Masukkan daun-daunan, sereh dan lengkuas yang dimemarkan

Saute the paste until fragrant. Put the leaves, lemon grass and bruised galangal,

Masukkan santan dan didihkan. Masak lagi sampai beberapa menit, sekali-sekali diaduk.

Add the coconut milk in, bring it to the boil. Continue cooking for few minutes and stir occasionally

Sekarang masukkan daging vegetarian, aduk dan didihkan kembali, kecilkan api dan masak sampai santan berkurang dan minyak mulai muncul.

Now add the mock meat, bring back to boil then simmer until the coconut milk is reduced and the oil start appears. 

Supaya rendang benar-benar enak sajikan keesokan harinya. Biarkan rendang dingin, kemudian simpan dalam kulkas, panaskan keesokan harinya atau kapan saja anda ingin menyajikannya.

For a better taste, serve the next day. Leave the rendang to cool, keep in the fridge and reheat the next day or when you are ready to consume.