Heat a dry frying pan and toast the dessicated coconut until golden brown. Transfer to the bowl of a mortar & pestle or a food processor. Now dry roast the candle nuts until they have coloured golden brown, and add them to the coconut. Grind the coconut and candle nuts fine and set aside.

Make a spice paste from the sambal oelek, onion, garlic and ground turmeric.

Heat a layer of oil (about 1/2 cm) in a heavy based saucepan and fry off the spice paste. Add the galangal, salam leaves, lemongrass, ginger, the kaffir lime leaves and the coconut mixture. Stiry fry the mixture for 2 minutes.

Add the diced beef and stir fry until the meat has been seared on most sides. Add enough warm tap water until the meat is just covered. Simmer the meat on medium heat for 30 minutes.

Stir in the chopped coconut cream and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid half-open on the saucepan, and allow the meat to simmer, whilst stirring every now and then, for about 30-40 minutes or until tender and the sauce as thickened. (If the sauce is not thickening, remove the lid from the pan whilst simmering.) Check seasoning and the beef rendang is ready to serve.