AYAM BUAH KELUAK

Serves 8–10

This chicken and pork stew has come to be one of the defining dishes of Perankan cooking. The buah keluak (Indonesian black nut) is the key ingredient in this dish, giving it its characteristic black colour. Every Perankan household has its own recipe with its own particular taste and you will always hear Nyonyas lamenting, “Tak sama, gua punya mak masak lagi sedap,” meaning that the dish they have cooked is not as good as their mother’s. The final outcome of this dish depends on the concentration of nuts used. As everybody’s palate is different, the best way to cook this dish is to follow the recipe, then adjust the taste according to your preference the next time around.

Cooking oil 4 Tbsp

Chicken 1, about 1.3 kg (2 lb 14⅓ oz),
cut into pieces of desired size

Pork ribs 500 g (1 lb 1½ oz), cut into pieces
of desired size

Tamarind pulp 120 g (4¼ oz), mixed with
1 litre (32 fl oz / 4 cups) water and strained

Buah Keluak

Buah keluak (Indonesian black nuts) 12–15

Minced pork 150 g (5⅓ oz)

Peeled small prawns (shrimps) 300 g (11 oz)

Sesame oil 1 Tbsp

Light soy sauce 1 Tbsp

Sugar 2 Tbsp

Rempah

Candlenuts 6–8

Galangal 6–8 slices

Lemon grass 2 stalks, ends trimmed,
cut into short lengths

Turmeric 5–6 slices

Shallots 300 g (11 oz), peeled

Kaffir lime leaves 6–8

Roasted prawn (shrimp) paste (belacan)
(page 26) 3 tsp

Dried chilli paste (page 27) 2 Tbsp

1.   Prepare buah keluak 3 days ahead. Wash, then soak nuts for 3 days, changing water daily.
On day of cooking, crack cap of nuts using a pestle, remove the shell to make an opening,
then remove kernel using a teaspoon.

2.   Mix together nut kernels, minced pork, prawns, sesame oil, light soy sauce and sugar.
Stuff mixture back into shells. Set aside.

3.   Using a mortar and pestle or blender, grind ingredients for rempah into a paste.

4.   Heat oil in a pot and add rempah. Fry until fragrant.

5.   Add chicken and pork ribs and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

6.   Add tamarind juice and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer until pork ribs are tender,
then return chicken to pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then add stuffed buah keluak.

7.   Simmer for another 15 minutes until chicken and stuffing are cooked. Adjust to taste with
salt and sugar if necessary.

8.   Dish out and serve hot with rice.

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peranakan heritage

Cooking