Buah Keluak, poison or black gold?
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A fruit native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, it comes from the Pangium Tree. The fruit produced from this tree is named pangi which look somewhat like a mango.
When it’s fresh, the seed contains hydrogen cyanide which is highly deadly. The seed will then undergoes a special fermentation method to turn it into a delicacy. The whole process sees the seed being buried in volcanic ashes for about 40 days before it’s being sold for consumption.
From a poisonous fruit, the pangi has turned into Buah Keluak, a prize ingredient in the Peranakan cuisine.
Ayam Buah Keluak
If you are a Peranakan or a fan of their cuisine, Ayam Buah Keluak will be a very familiar dish. In fact, it is the epitome of all the Peranakan dishes.
If this is the first time you have come across this dish, it’s a mildly spicy dish that has a consistency between a stew and curry. Using other various aromatics and spices such as tamarind, lemongrass, shallot, garlic and shrimp paste, this dish marries
The name of the dish is in the Malay language.
Ayam — Chicken
Buah — Fruit
Buah Keluak — pangium edule fruit
Traditionally, you will need to prepare the Buah Keluak by soaking the seeds continuously for 5 days. It is very laborious. Every morning, you’ll need to change water. By day 4 scrub it with a brush and soak for the final day.
This is a dish which Peranakan families usually prepare and cook during festive season. Using 5 days to soak, it does takes a little planning ahead. Not to mention the list of spices, herbs and aromatics you’ll need to prepare and cook the dish.
This dish is best serve with steamed rice.
Instant Paste
Instant paste has been a life saver since I was a kid. With more and more mummies in the work force, a quick dinner prep with instant paste has always been welcome.
With all the ingredients in the small pack and instructions clearly printed behind the packaging, it is so convenient. It is also good for people who wish to try out other cuisine that is not your own, but do not wish to learn it from scratch at the start.
Nyonyalite
Established in 1980, their aim is to simplify Nyonya cooking. If you grew up in the South East Asian region, you will know how time consuming and challenging it is to cook Peranakan food. For a non Peranakan like me, Nyonya recipes can be quite scary with their long list of ingredients. Peranakan ladies or affectionately known as Nyonyas, spent most of their waking hours in the kitchen churning out dishes for their friends and family.
Simplified, convenient and traditional tasting all in one little bag is indeed challenging. Yet Nyonyalite has managed to bring all these qualities together seamlessly.
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In just under 30minutes, you’ll be able to savour this wonderful dish without the hassle of soaking the Buah Keluak for 5 days.
On top of Buah Keluak, Nyonyalite produces Mee Siam Paste, and Sambal Chilli Paste for Ayam Penyet (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken). Mee Siam is a Malay rice vermicelli dish in a sour and spicy soup.
As a fan of Peranakan food, I loved the intricate flavours of Buah Keluak from Nyonalite. It is definitely a dish unlike others.