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Sauces, pastes & condiments · Curry pastes

Rempah (Malay spice paste)

Malay and Indonesian spice paste of shallots, chillies, garlic, ginger, galangal and lemongrass — the base of rendang.

Also called: rendang paste, rendang spice paste, bumbu rendang, rempah rendang, spice paste

Around the world: rempah (ms) · bumbu rendang (id)

Make it yourself: Rempah for rendang

What it is

Rempah is the Malay word for a blended or pounded spice paste; the rendang version is mostly shallots with fresh and dried red chillies, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric. It is fried slowly in oil until the oil separates (pecah minyak) before meat and coconut milk are added.

How it’s used

  • Beef, chicken or jackfruit rendang
  • Gulai and kari curries
  • Sambal and sauce bases

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet from shallots, hot, and citrusy-aromatic once fried.
When cooked
Spits and steams at first, then darkens and turns glossy as the oil separates.
Sold as
paste
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Raw paste keeps up to 5 days chilled; freeze in portions for 3 months.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
72 kcal
Protein
2.5 g
Carbohydrate
16.8 g
Fat
0.1 g
Fibre
3.2 g
Sugars
7.87 g

USDA FoodData Central: Shallots, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Thai curry paste — Very different in balance; use only as a last resort, with extra shallot.

Related ingredients

Recipes with rempah (malay spice paste)

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More curry pastes