Ayam Buah Keluak

It has been a tradition in my family since eons ago. Since I was old enough to remember, we've always had Ayam Buah Keluak as one of the main dishes during CNY. Nothing too strange about it since I grew up in a household strongly influenced by Peranakan practices. My Granny's Peranakan for the uninitiated.

Granny used to helm this task each year. She'd do almost everything herself and I remember running around in the kitchen watching her prepare this dish when I was young. (Mind you, this is a dish which is tedious to prepare and needs alot of effort.)

That was up until the time when she didn't have the strength anymore to cook and prepare everything. And then my mum took over. With Granny giving instructions by the side or doing the simple things like chopping up the spices to be used for the gravy paste.

And then the time came when Granny couldn't even handle a knife. Mum took over completely. And it was around that time as well when Dad & I were roped in as helpers.....that was at least 5-6 years ago or it could have been longer.

Anyway it was no different this year. Mum & Dad bought the nuts at a Bedok South stall about 2 weeks back at $0.30 for each nut. About a week ago, Mum scrubbed them clean and soaked them in a pot of water.

This morning, Dad & I set about our arduous task of "tackling" the nuts. Dad, with his trusty screwdriver and heavy duty hammer, cracked open the nuts and I, with my trusty metal plier, would pry open the cracks further and enlarge the holes in the nuts, till the holes were big enough to fit a finger inside.

After the nuts were cracked open, we then had to scrape out all the contents within. Mum would then mix fish paste with the nut fillings. Dad & I then had to fill the empty nutshells up again with this new prepared buah keluak paste.

In the meantime, Mum would be frying the spices and getting the gravy base ready. And preparing the chicken drumsticks and chicken pieces to be thrown in together with the buah keluak.

By the time Dad & I were done, it was already close to 12pm. 2.5hours of work just to prepare the nuts.

And Mum still had to cook them in the soup base together with the chicken pieces.

By the time she was done, it was already 2-something close to 3pm.

5hours of work.

3 person's efforts.

2 big pots of Ayam Buah Keluak.

Nonya dishes are really tedious to prepare.

Maybe that's why they taste so so good.

And oh yes, we saved a tupperware of it for someone who's salivating in Europe right now. ;p