Chicken Amok
A Khmer recipe I had the chance to try preparing for myself during a cooking course in Siep Reap, Cambodia. Maybe not as spicy or flavourful as Thai curries but interesting to the palate.
A Khmer recipe I had the chance to try preparing for myself during a cooking course in Siep Reap, Cambodia. Maybe not as spicy or flavourful as Thai curries but interesting to the palate.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- curry paste
- 2 stems fresh ginger chopped
- 1 stem lemon grass chopped
- 1 red thai chili or replace by 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 root fresh turmeric pealed and chopped (or replace by 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric)
- amok
- 450 ml coconut milk
- 2 large boneless chicken breast cut into very thin slices about 2.5cm long
- 1 ngor leaf, stem removed (or spinash as a substitute)
- 3 oyster mushrooms torn into strands by hand
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock (or venetable)
- 250 ml water
- presentation
- 8 medium banana leaves (or dark green cabbage leaves)
- 10 toothpicks
- Carbohydrate 45.9164337317834 g
- Cholesterol 136.88 mg
- Fat 49.8351104622562 g
- Fiber 6.43149990439415 g
- Protein 67.9584737146628 g
- Saturated Fat 41.5242977390331 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (808g)
- Sodium 1615.85321294209 mg
- Sugar 39.4849338273892 g
- Trans Fat 4.2942803694035 g
- Calories 883 calories
Step-by-step
- Chop turmeric, garlic, red thai chili, onion, ginger, lemon grass and mash in blender or food processor. Alternatively, you can use a mortar.
- In a pan, heat first half of coconut milk, mix in the paste and chopped onion.
- Lower the heat, add the chicken and mushrooms
- After a few minutes, add water, stir 1 minute
- Then add ngor leaves (or spinash), other half of coconut milk, salt and sugar. Continue to cook gently for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Meanwhile, if using cabbage greens, place them in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and set aside to soften. If using banana leaves, cut into pieces about 20cm square.
- Final touches: add stock powder and fish sauce.
Replacing traditional ngor leaves with standard dark green cabbage leaves shifts the aromatic profile of the dish toward a milder, earthier note. Cabbage lacks the distinct bitter pungency of authentic Cambodian greens, yet it still holds structural integrity when folded into cups. Blanching these substitute leaves in boiling water for exactly two minutes makes them pliable enough to pin with toothpicks without splitting the fibers.
Traditional preparation relies on heavy granite mortars to pound lemongrass, galangal or ginger, fresh turmeric, and chilies into a cohesive paste. A small countertop food processor handles this task efficiently when blades are sharp. Scrape down the bowl every twenty seconds to ensure fibrous lemongrass stalks break down completely. Coarse paste ruins the velvety mouthfeel expected from coconut milk reductions.
Simmering the initial portion of coconut milk before adding the paste forces the fat to separate and fry the spices directly. Watch for tiny oil droplets to pool on the surface of the pan before introducing thin chicken slices. Cook the protein gently for ten minutes until the surrounding liquid thickens into a glossy coat that clings to the spoon.
Processing Aromatics Without Specialized Tools
Traditional preparation relies on heavy granite mortars to pound lemongrass, galangal or ginger, fresh turmeric, and chilies into a cohesive paste. A small countertop food processor handles this task efficiently when blades are sharp. Scrape down the bowl every twenty seconds to ensure fibrous lemongrass stalks break down completely. Coarse paste ruins the velvety mouthfeel expected from coconut milk reductions.
Managing Coconut Fat Reduction
Simmering the initial portion of coconut milk before adding the paste forces the fat to separate and fry the spices directly. Watch for tiny oil droplets to pool on the surface of the pan before introducing thin chicken slices. Cook the protein gently for ten minutes until the surrounding liquid thickens into a glossy coat that clings to the spoon.
