As a Peranakan@Babanyonya, I believe many of us know about the existing of this so called fruit or nut or er......whatever it is called......Buah Keluak. The Peranakan uses these nuts to cooked one of the sought after special delicacies, called Ayam Masak Buah Keluak. Not many people knows how to eat this nut, some may like it and some may totally don't like the nut taste. Even some Peranakan is not familiar with this nut and don't like it too. My mum usually get it from the Pasar Borong or Wet Market, but i am not sure whether this fruit is available at Tesco, Carrefour and etc. It's around Rm9 per pack for 20 nuts.
Buah Keluak nuts come from the Kepayang tree or Pangium edule which is found only in the forest of Indonesia and certain parts of Malaysia. Buah Keluak is a black or dark brown nut from and about the size of and shape of flattened golf ball or Brazil nut. Almost every part of this tree and fruit are poisonous and in fact extract from the crushed seeds can be used to make poisoned tipped arrows. The reason for this is that the plant material is rich in cyanide or prussic acid. To prepare the seeds, they are often buried underground coated in ashes for as long as 40 days, then boiled and cleaned. This process should remove the poisons. However, to be safe, it is recommended that before cooking, please soak the Buah Keluak over-night (my mum soaked it for about one week) in a bowl of water and then, wash it.
After is it soaked and washed, it is used to cook a dish called Ayam Masak Buah Keluak. This dish is simply superb delicious and I am sure, once you try it, you’ll want it for more. You can get it easily at a Babanyonya or Peranakan Restaurant, but it is a bit expensive from other dishes. Anyway, restaurant cooked Ayam Masak Buah Keluak simply can’t match my mum’s cooking. I give 5 + 1 star to my mum's Ayam Masak Buah Keluak.
