Fish amok is Cambodia’s national dish. It’s a fragrant, creamy steamed fish curry infused with lemongrass, turmeric and coconut. Traditionally presented in banana leaf cups, you can serve it with steamed rice for an authentic Cambodian experience
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 20 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Cuisine | Asian |
| Diet | Other |
| Preparation | Moderate |
| Calories | 356 |
| Fat | 16g |
| Saturates | 11g |
| Protein | 31g |
| Carbs | 23g |
| Sugars | 5g |
| Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated. See details | |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFTo make the kroeung paste, crush and roughly chop the lemongrass. Peel and roughly chop the galangal or ginger, turmeric and shallot. Peel and crush the garlic. Using a pestle and mortar or a small blender, grind the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal until they release their oils and form a rough paste. Add the garlic, shallot, turmeric and ¼ tsp salt, blending thoroughly after each addition until a thick, smooth paste forms. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of water. Transfer to a sterilised jar with a teaspoon of oil on top to prevent it from drying. This can be kept for up to 5 days.
Soak the chillies in boiling water until softened. Remove from the water and finely chop into a paste. Chop the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the kroeung with the crushed chillies, fish fillets, fish sauce, shrimp paste, palm sugar, 100ml of coconut cream, eggs and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir gently if you prefer chunky pieces of fish or mix vigorously for a smoother texture. Test the seasoning by cooking a small spoonful in a pan or microwaving it. Adjust with more salt, sugar, fish sauce, or chilli as needed.
Divide the fish mixture among four 125ml ramekins, coconut shells, or banana leaf baskets, filling almost to the top. Place in a steamer over a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Five minutes before finishing, drizzle the remaining coconut cream over the top and steam until firm.
Finely slice the extra lime leaf and julienne the chilli. Scatter over the fish amok.
Serve immediately with steamed rice. If serving family-style, place the fish amok at the centre of the table for guests to share.
