What Are Candlenuts and How Can I Use Them?
Candlenuts rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 4 recipes to cook with them.
Key Points
- A round, oily Southeast Asian nut (kemiri) used to thicken, not to snack.
- Mildly toxic raw, so always ground into a paste that gets cooked.
- Melts into curries and sambals for a rich, creamy body.
- Macadamias are the closest one-for-one substitute; raw cashews also work.
- Very high in fat, so they go rancid fast; store cold.
What are candlenuts?
Candlenuts are a round, waxy, cream-colored nut used across Southeast Asia as a thickener rather than a snack. They are mild and oily, a little like a denser macadamia, valued not for flavor but for the body they give a sauce.
The name comes from their old use as candles. They are so high in oil they will burn.
This is a kitchen workhorse in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking, where the Indonesian name is kemiri. Ground into a spice paste, candlenuts melt away and leave behind a rich, slightly creamy base.
How to Use Candlenuts
Candlenuts are always cooked, never eaten raw. Raw, they are mildly toxic and can cause nausea, so they only ever go into a dish that gets cooked through.
This is the one rule that matters with them.
Their main job is thickening. A handful of candlenuts is ground with shallots, garlic, chili, and other aromatics into a wet spice paste, then fried in oil until fragrant. As the paste cooks, the ground nut thickens and enriches the sauce, giving curries and sambals their smooth body.
You see this in dishes like Indonesian Curried Crab, the spice paste behind Laksa Gravy, and the chili relish Sambal Ikan. A light toast in a dry pan before grinding deepens their flavor and makes them easier to crush.
Substitutes and Storage
Macadamias are the standard substitute, and the closest one, since both are round, oily, and mild. Use them one for one. Raw cashews also work and are easier to find, bringing similar richness and thickening power if a touch less oil.
Candlenuts are very high in fat, so they go rancid quickly and a rancid nut tastes sharp and bitter. Buy them in small amounts, keep them airtight in the fridge, and freeze them for longer storage. Taste one before grinding to be sure it is still sweet.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- candlenuts
- British (UK) term
- Candlenuts
- en français
- bancoul
- en español
- candlenuts
Recipes using candlenuts
There are 4 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Ambila Chicken
Fiery Indonesian chicken braised with lemongrass, chilies, and a fragrant spice paste, then simmered with green beans until tender. Bold, aromatic, and built for heat lovers.
Laksa Gravy
Rich Malaysian laksa gravy built from a fragrant rempah spice paste of chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and candlenuts, simmered with coconut milk and fish balls. The aromatic, coconut-laced base for a bowl of curry laksa.
Fish Relish - Sambal Ikan
Indonesian sambal ikan transforms tuna into a spicy-sweet coconut relish with shallots, garlic, and candlenuts. Serve hot or cold as a bold condiment or side dish.
Indonesian Curried Crab
Indonesian curried crab simmers cracked whole crab in a rich coconut curry built on a fresh-ground paste of galangal, lemongrass, chili and candlenuts, balanced with sour tamarind. Fragrant, fiery, gloriously messy.
