You cannot visit a Peranakan restaurant and not order their ayam buah keluak.

To prepare this dish, chicken and (interestingly) spare ribs are braised in turmeric and lemongrass based gravy with buah keluak. It is one of the most time-consuming dishes to make as the buah keluak has to be properly cleaned to make it safe for consumption. The spices have to be first stir-fried until fragrant before part of it is stuffed back into the buah keluak shell whilst the rest is cooked with tamarind juice and stock to create the gravy.

The buah keluak is the key ingredient in this as it gives the dish a nutty and earthy flavour. It's great on its own but perfect over rice. House of Peranakan Petit has one of the better renditions that I have tried and this is definitely a must-order if you are there!