Coconut Butter

Kerisik is a condiment made of grated coconut which is toasted. It is the secret to the nutty caramelized flavour to perfect rendang. Kerisik is known as coconut butter due to its fragrance and natural oil.

Kerisik, made of toasted grated coconut goes perfectly well with the caramelized curry known as ‘[rendang](https://www.nyonyacooking.com/recipes/chicken-rendang~rkU1dPiPG5b7)’. Besides ‘rendang’, other dishes such as ‘[nasi ulam](https://www.nyonyacooking.com/recipes/nasi-ulam-nyonya~rJsrVbUV7)’, ‘nasi kerabu’ and ‘serunding’ (spiced grated coconut) uses this special ingredient too. It is used for its fragrance, creamy flavour and natural preservative function. Dishes which have kerisik added to them last longer. This is a little trick used back in the days when refrigerators weren't widely available.