Ayam Buah Keluak (Peranakan Black Nut Chicken)

About This Recipe

Ayam buah keluak is widely regarded as the masterpiece of Peranakan (Nonya) cuisine and one of the most distinctive dishes in all of Southeast Asian cooking. Buah keluak — the seed of the Pangium edule tree — is a black nut with a uniquely earthy, bittersweet, smoky flavor that has no substitute. The raw seeds contain hydrogen cyanide and must be fermented and boiled for weeks before use, which is why they are always sold pre-treated. The inky black paste inside each nut is scooped out, mixed with minced pork and shrimp, and packed back inside before the stuffed nuts are braised with chicken in a rempah of shallots, galangal, lemongrass, candlenuts, and dried chilies. The braising liquid turns a deep, mysterious black from the nut juices, developing a flavor unlike anything else: earthy, complex, and profoundly savory. This is a dish that takes two days to prepare and rewards every minute.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgchicken, cut into pieces
• 20pre-treated buah keluak nuts
• 100 gminced pork belly
• 100 gsmall shrimp, peeled and minced
• 1 tspsoy sauce
• 0.5 tspsesame oil
• 10shallots, peeled
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 4 cmfresh galangal, sliced
• 3 stalkslemongrass, white part only
• 5candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• 8dried red chilies, soaked
• 1 tspbelacan (shrimp paste), toasted
• 1 tspturmeric powder
• 3 tbsptamarind paste (40g block dissolved in 100ml water, strained)
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 200 mlwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the keluak nuts (day before)

   Crack a small hole in the pointed end of each nut. Soak overnight in water. Drain. Scoop the black paste into a bowl. Mix with minced pork, shrimp, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pack filling back into each nut.

   Buy nuts pre-treated — raw buah keluak requires 40+ days of fermentation and is unsafe to prepare at home.

2. 2

   Make the rempah

   Blend shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, candlenuts, soaked chilies, and belacan into a fine paste.

3. 3

   Fry the rempah

   Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry rempah 12-15 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and oil separates.

4. 4

   Add turmeric and chicken

   Add turmeric and stir 30 seconds. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat in paste. Cook 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

5. 5

   Add keluak and liquid

   Nestle stuffed keluak nuts among the chicken. Add tamarind liquid and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

6. 6

   Braise

   Braise covered 35-40 minutes, turning chicken and nuts occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is deeply black and aromatic. Add salt and sugar. The flavor should be earthy, sour, savory, and gently bitter.

Variations

• •

  Babi buah keluak: replace chicken with pork ribs — equally traditional in Peranakan households.

• •

  Boneless version: use boneless chicken thighs to reduce preparation fuss.

Storage

Keeps refrigerated up to 3 days and genuinely improves with time. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions