Recipe Ingredient
- 1 chicken - pieces cut at the joints and into bite sized pieces
- 16 pcs buah keluak
- 4 tablespoons groundnut oil
- Part A - Spices :
- 5 cm Lengkuas (Blue Ginger)
- 2 cm Kunyit (Turmeric Root)
- (or 4 tsp ground turmeric powder)
- 4 pcs Cili Kering (Dried Chilli) - de-seeded
- 4 pcs Cili Merah (Fresh Red Chilli) - De-centred
- 1 large onion or 6 shallots
- 6 pcs buah keras (candlenuts)
- 3 stalks Serai (Lemongrass)
- 3cm Belacan or 2 tsp granules (Dried Shrimp Paste)
- Salt & sugar to taste
Instructions
- Soak all buah keluak in water for 24 hours in basinful of fresh water, make sure nuts are weighted down and soaked properly. Scrub and clean the outer shell of the nuts and pat dry. Chip a hole at the opening of each nut with a heavy cleaver.
- Slice and ground all spices in Part A. Best ground with a batu tumbuk (mortar & pestle)
- Melt Belacan in 2 tbsp hot water and mix into all the ground spices.
- Heat the oil and stirfry the ground spices until fragrant, or for 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Add the buah keluak to mix and add 1 cup of fresh water. Simmer with closed lid and low fire for 10 minutes to allow the flavour to permeate into the buah keluak.
- Add the chicken pieces and add some water if the mixture is too dry. Consistency should be of thick curry (kurma). Simmer on low heat with lid closed for about 25 minutes until chicken is cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent burnt bits.
- Switch off the heat and leave for flavours to mature.
- Dish may be served at room temperature or warmed up.
