Ayam Buah Keluak

Ingredients: 
1 chicken (abt 1.3kg)/or chicken thighs if u prefer 
15 buah keluak 
50g asam paste 
400ml water 
1/2 tbsp sugar 
salt 
8-9 tbsps oil 

Spices: 
150g shallots 
15g dried chillies (I'll soaked in hot water n remove seeds cos we don't like too spicy) 
2 stalks lemongrass (white part only) 
15g belacan 
3 candle nuts/buah keras 
15g turmeric/kunyit (sometimes I replace it with 1tsp of kunyit powder) 
15g galangal/lengkuas 

Preparation: 
1) Wash buah keluak and soak in water for 3 days. Change water daily and scrub buah keluak until clean. (I'm more particular cos water may smell so I'll change water twice daily and always scrub whenever I change water) 

2) Open nuts at the top. Pick out the nut meat. Remain shells. 

3) Pound the nut meat with little salt and sugar until smooth (I'll pound w/o salt n sugar cos dh prefer it as it is) 

4) Stuff the pounded mixture into empty shells. 

5) Blend all spices together until fine. 

6) Wash and cut chicken intoe big pieces 

7) Add water to asam paste. Stir until it dissolves completely. 

Method: 
1) Heat oil and stir fry blended spices until fragrant. 

2) Add chicken and stir fry. 

3) Add in buah keluak. 

4) Add asam juice and season to taste. 

5) Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked. 

*This dish tastes better if prepared the day before serving.