Recipe: Pork rendang with roti

A true winter warmer comfort meal, this pork rendang is a recipe you’ll have on repeat.

Pork rendang with rotiserves 4-6

1 kilogram pork scotch, diced into 2-centimetre pieces3 tbsp vegetable oil1 cinnamon stick3 star anise6 cardamom pods4 cloves2 tsp turmeric1 tbsp tamarind puree1 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp fish sauce2 kaffir lime leaves400ml coconut cream⅓ cup desiccated coconut½ pineapple, cut into wedges2 cups mixed herbs, for example Thai basil, coriander2-3 cups steamed rice, to serve

for paste1 onion3 garlic cloves1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled6 dried red chillies, reconstituted in boiling water2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, roughly chopped

for roti200 grams plain flour½ tsp salt½ cup melted butter¼ cup warm water

Process paste ingredients in food processor until smooth. Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-to-high heat. Add oil and pork pieces and cook until browned (you may need to do this in batches). Set aside. Add paste to saucepan and fry until fragrant and dry.

Return meat to pan, with any accumulated juices, and add spices, tamarind, fish sauce, lime leaves and coconut cream. Bring to boil then partially cover with a lid and simmer for two hours.

Meanwhile, toast coconut over low heat in a small frypan until golden. Add toasted coconut to cooked rendang and simmer for 10 minutes. For roti, place flour, salt, ¼ cup melted butter and water into medium bowl and mix to form a dough. Transfer to floured bench and knead until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and rest for 30 minutes.

Then, divide dough into four and roll each out on floured bench until two millimetres thick, brush with melted butter and fold into thirds, brush with more butter and fold into thirds again. You will be left with a small rectangular piece of dough. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of dough.

Heat a medium cast-iron pan over medium-to-high heat. Roll out dough until one millimetre thick and place in hot pan, cooking for one minute on each side, or until golden and slightly charred.

Wrap roti in a tea towel to keep warm while rest are cooking. Wipe out pan with paper towel and place pineapple wedges in hot pan and cook on both sides until charred.

Serve rendang with roti, charred pineapple, steamed rice and plenty of fresh herbs on the side.

This article first appeared in the SALIFE magazine and is republished here with permission