Recipe
Bumbu — Indonesian base with candlenut
- Herb:
- Candlenut Aleurites moluccanus
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Fruit
About 20 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Dry-roast the candlenut kernels in a pan for 3–4 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- In a mortar or blender grind them with 4 shallots, 3 garlic cloves, 2 chillies, a piece of galangal and a teaspoon of coriander into a smooth paste.
- Fry the paste in a spoonful of oil for 5 minutes until fragrant and the oil separates.
- Use as the base for curries, opor ayam or sambal; candlenut lends creaminess without milk.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 4–5 candlenut kernels for a batch of paste for 4 portions
- Solvent:
- dry roast, then grind with the other ingredients; kernel oil thickens the sauce
- Shelf life:
- paste: 1 week in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer
- Target compounds:
- oil (about 60 % of the kernel) and proteins provide creaminess; heat breaks down the laxative substances in the raw kernel
Notes
A kitchen recipe from Java. Candlenuts are always roasted or boiled — raw nuts are purgative. Beware when buying 'nuez de la India' for weight loss: under that name the poisonous seeds of yellow oleander are sold, not candlenut.
Why it works
Candlenut kernels hold around 60 % oil rich in linoleic and linolenic acid and about 20 % protein, which on grinding form an emulsion that thickens a sauce — hence they replace cream in Indonesian cooking. Raw kernels contain purgative compounds (toxalbumins and phorbol esters are described in related spurges) that heat breaks down; the review by Hakim et al. 2022 records traditional use only after cooking and pharmacological data only from the laboratory.
Literature
- Hakim A et al. (2022): Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biological activity review of Aleurites moluccana. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science 12(4):170–178 — Review of traditional uses and composition; kernels only after cooking.
Related
Candlenut — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail