5 Quick Meals You Can Make with a Rendang Paste

Updated 1 November 2026 · OmniCart Malaysia

Rendang paste is really a deep, ready-made spice base — and it makes a lot more than rendang. Here are five quick meals from a single jar, from the classic to a cheeky rendang pasta.

Rendang paste is not just for rendang

At heart, Kak Zaidah Pes Rendang Padang is a concentrated paste of galangal, lemongrass, chilli and kerisik. Anywhere you want that deep, toasty, spicy flavour, a spoonful does the work. Here are five easy ways.

1. The classic rendang

Brown chicken or beef, stir in the paste with coconut milk and water, and simmer until thick. The full method is in how to cook rendang the easy way.

2. Rendang fried rice (nasi goreng rendang)

Fry a spoon of paste in a little oil, add cold rice and a beaten egg, toss until coated and smoky. Finish with sliced spring onion. Great for leftover rice and leftover rendang meat.

3. Rendang pasta

Loosen a couple of spoons of paste with a splash of coconut milk or cream, toss through cooked spaghetti with a little pasta water, and top with fried shallots. A five-minute fusion dinner.

4. Rendang wrap or sandwich

Warm shredded rendang chicken (or paste-fried chicken) and roll it into a wrap with cucumber and lettuce, or pile it into a toasted sandwich. Perfect for using up leftovers.

5. Rendang noodle soup / Maggi

Stir a small spoon of paste into your noodle broth for an instant spicy, aromatic upgrade. Add an egg and vegetables and it is a full bowl.

Tips for cooking with the paste

Always fry the paste in a little oil first until fragrant — it wakes up the spices.
Add coconut milk for richness, water to loosen.
A little goes a long way; start with less and taste.
Store the sealed pack at room temperature and the opened pack in the freezer.