Candlenut is the first and only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant in the world. They take a contemporary yet authentic approach to create their Peranakan Cuisine.
My friend and I have tried out some of their dishes. Let me share with you one of our favorites' dishes.
Buah keluak fried rice
Sporting a glorious shade of black, the rice is stir fried with the flesh of the rich Indonesian black nut sambal or known as the flesh of buah keluak. The nut imparts its beautiful colour on every rice grain which makes it intensely fragrant. On top of the dish, is an organic sunny-side-up egg. Imagine a molten egg on top of intense buah keluak rice.
What is buah keluak?
Buah keluak is a type of nut that is native to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a key ingredient in the cuisine of those regions, and is often used to flavor stews and curries.
When eaten uncooked or undercooked, buah keluak, also known as the kepayang fruit, is regarded as poisonous. The reason for this is that cyanide, a poisonous chemical that can seriously hurt a person's body, is present in the nuts.
The black pulp that envelops the nut contains the cyanide, not the nut itself. When the nut is prepared incorrectly, a substance called hydrogen cyanide that is present in the pulp may leak. It is potentially fatal to consume even a small amount of this toxin because it might result in symptoms including headache and dizziness.
The nut must be thoroughly processed before ingestion. Toxins are removed from the nut during the soaking process, making it safe to consume. When handled properly, the Buah Keluak is known as the black diamond in Peranakan Cusine!
