Southeast Asia

Candlenut

Aleurites moluccanus.

Nut (toxic raw – must always be cooked/roasted before consumption).

Part Used

Roasted and ground into curry paste bases.

Form

Kemiri (Indonesian); buah keras (Malay).

Indonesia, Malaysia.

Mild, waxy, nutty; used primarily as a thickener rather than for pronounced flavor.

A textural thickener for curry pastes, similar in function to how nuts are used to thicken some other world cuisines' sauces.

Rendang; various bumbu dasar-based curries.

Shallot, garlic, galangal, turmeric.

Roast or toast before grinding into a paste to neutralize the raw nut's mild toxicity and develop flavor.

Whole nuts keep well over a year in a cool, dry place.

Macadamia nut is the most commonly suggested substitute given a similar waxy richness.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: candlenuts are mildly toxic when raw and must always be roasted or otherwise cooked before use.

Bumbu dasar (all three colors, as a thickening component).