Peranakan people are ingenious. They are able to transform poison into a delicacy. Fresh "keluak" nuts (Pangium edule) are commonly used as rat poison. After boiling then burying nuts under volcanic ashes, earth and banana leaves for forty days, nuts will become edible as well as nutritious due to fermentation. Fermented keluak nuts are rich in Vitamin C and iron.
In Malaysia, fermented keluak nuts are typically sold in the historical city of Malacca. Fermented keluak nuts are sourced from Indonesia, the native country of origin. Quality nuts are usually black in color. Light brownish ones have a tendency to produce bitter after taste.
Some of the most crucial tips for making chicken with keluak nuts are
- Soaking nuts in water for five days and changing water twice daily
- Crack the sides of nut shells, scoop out pulps and grind in blender until smooth paste then season with sugar, salt and lemon juice before stuffing back into nut shells.
- To make it more delicious, mix the smooth nut paste with mince shrimp and mince chicken or pork before stuffing back into shells.
- Good proportion of herb and spice blend
- Cover stir-fried chicken in spices adequately with tamarind juice and homemade chicken stock for braising. Add in keluak nuts twenty minutes before completion of braising. Overall braising time is 40 minutes.
The dish should taste nutty, aromatically spiced and tangy. A small utensil is required to dig out content from the nut shell. Some people tend to enjoy this delicacy while others find it an acquired taste.
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Wheat