Cambodia's A-Mok

Amok is a Cambodian curry which is steamed instead of boiled and is solid, but moist. There are traditionally two types of amok, one cooked with fish and steamed in banana leaf cups, simply known as amok, while the other, made from snails steamed in their shells, is known as amok chouk.

However, in many larger restaurants around the country, several adaptations exist, such as amok steamed in coconut shells, pumpkin or taro.

Cabbage is often used as a substitute for nhor (morinda citrifolia) while in addition to fish, seafood amok can often be found.

Ingredients:

- 400 g catfish (or any meaty fish)

- 3/4 cup coconut cream

- 2 cups coconut milk

- 1 egg, beaten

Kroeung (spices):

- 2 dried red chillies, soaked, drained and chopped into a paste

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 tablespoon galangal, cut small

- 1 tablespoon lemon grass stalk

- zest of 1/4 kaffir lime

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon kapi

- 300 g young nhor leaves

- 1 tablespoon fish sauce

- 3 tablespoon kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly

- 3 cayenne peppers

banana leaves to make cups

To Cook Amok:

First make the kroeun, then slice the catfish thinly and set aside. Remove nhor from stem, slice the kaffir lime leaves and cayenne peppers thinly.

Stir the kroeung into 1 cup of coconut milk, and when it has dissolved add the egg, fish sauce and sliced fish. Then add the remaining coconut milk and mix well.

Make the banana leaf cups, then put the nhor in first and top with the fish mixture. Steam for about 20 minutes or until the coconut milk is solid, but still moist. Before serving, top each cup with coconut cream and garnish with kaffir leaf and cayenne peppers.

To Cook Amok Chouk:

To make amok chouk, follow the recipe above, using snails instead of fish. Remove the snails from the shells and set aside, soak the shells overnight to ensure they are clean.

Cut long strips of banana leaves, hold the two ends together and push the loop inside the snail shell. Then spoon in the snail coconut mixture and steam for about 20 minutes.

To eat, gently pull the ends of the banana leaf and lift the curry out of the snail shell.

How to make banana leaf cups:

First clean the leaves with a wet cloth, then dip them into boiling water so they are soft and do not crack when being shaped.

Cut circles 25-cm in diameter and place two together. This is important as one leaf is not strong enough to hold the mixture.

Mark a square in the middle of the circle, this will be the bottom of the cup.

Then, put a thumb on one right angle of the square and pull up 2 sides, tucking in the fold, and pinning together with a tiny bamboo stick. Then move to the next right and repeat. Continue until all 4 sides of the cup are held together.

Credit/Source: The Cuisine of Cambodia by Nusara Thaitawat