Ayam Buah Keluak (Peranakan Chicken with Black Nuts)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Buah keluak nuts, soaked in water for at least 2 days, water changed daily — 12
- Bone-in chicken pieces — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Shallots — 6
- Garlic cloves — 3
- Galangal — 3 cm (1 in) piece
- Fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric) — 3 cm (1 in) piece
- Dried chillies, soaked — 4
- Tamarind pulp, mixed with 4 tbsp water and strained — 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
- Water or chicken stock — 500 ml (2 cups)
- Sugar — 1 tsp
- Salt, — to taste
- Minced pork, for stuffing the nuts — 200 g (7 oz)
Method
- Scrub the soaked buah keluak shells clean, crack them open carefully at the natural opening, and scoop out the black flesh into a bowl, reserving the empty shells.
- Mix half the scooped flesh with the minced pork, season lightly, and spoon the mixture back into the empty shells to make stuffed nuts. Reserve the remaining flesh for the sauce.
- Blend the shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric and soaked chillies into a smooth paste.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the paste for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and darkened.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat, then add the reserved buah keluak flesh, tamarind water, stock, sugar and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, add the stuffed nuts, cover and cook on low heat for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Introduction: A signature dish of Peranakan, or Nyonya, cuisine, ayam buah keluak braises chicken with buah keluak, a black Indonesian nut with a rich, earthy, slightly bitter flavour, prepared through an elaborate fermentation and detoxification process.
Cultural Background: A signature dish of Peranakan, or Nyonya, cuisine, ayam buah keluak braises chicken with buah keluak, a black Indonesian nut with a rich, earthy, slightly bitter flavour, prepared through an elaborate fermentation and detoxification process. Considered a labour of love and a mark of culinary skill within Peranakan households, it remains an emblem of Singapore's Straits Chinese heritage.
Tips: Handle raw buah keluak with care and follow a thorough multi-day soak, as the raw nut naturally contains compounds that must be removed before eating. Taste and adjust the tamarind and sugar carefully; the dish should have a balanced sweet-sour, earthy profile.
Variations: Use only chicken without the stuffed nuts for a simpler, quicker version of the dish. Add a few whole dried chillies to the braise for extra background heat. There is no authentic vegetarian version, as this dish is fundamentally built around chicken and a meat-stuffed nut.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; flavour deepens well overnight.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered pot over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if needed.
Nutrition: Approx. 460 kcal, 30g protein, 14g carbs, 30g fat, 3g fibre per serving.
FAQs:
Q: Is buah keluak safe to eat?
A: Raw buah keluak contains natural toxins that are removed through traditional fermentation and the multi-day soaking process before the nuts are sold for cooking.
Q: Can I buy buah keluak pre-prepared?
A: Yes, most Asian grocers sell buah keluak already fermented and ready for the household soaking and cleaning process described in this recipe.
- Buah keluak nuts, soaked in water for at least 2 days, water changed daily — 12
- Bone-in chicken pieces — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Shallots — 6
- Garlic cloves — 3
- Galangal — 3 cm (1 in) piece
- Fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric) — 3 cm (1 in) piece
- Dried chillies, soaked — 4
- Tamarind pulp, mixed with 4 tbsp water and strained — 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
- Water or chicken stock — 500 ml (2 cups)
- Sugar — 1 tsp
- Salt, — to taste
- Minced pork, for stuffing the nuts — 200 g (7 oz)
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