Method
- Steam the soaked sticky rice for 25 minutes — the rice should be glossy, sticky and translucent.
- Heat coconut milk in a small pot with palm sugar and salt over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.
- Tip the steamed rice into a wide bowl. Pour the warm coconut mixture over and fold gently with a wooden spoon. The rice should drink the coconut and turn lustrous.
- Soften banana leaves over a flame until pliable. Cut into 25cm × 25cm squares.
- Spread a portion of the rice on a banana leaf. Add a layer of mashed banana and a sprinkle of partially-cooked black-eyed peas. Top with another layer of rice.
- Roll the banana leaf tightly into a cylinder, securing the ends with kitchen string. Repeat for all parcels. Steam the parcels in a steamer over rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes. Cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve at room temperature; bai damneub is travel and picnic food.
Common questions
Can Bai Damneub be made ahead?
Bai Damneub is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 60 minutes.
Is Bai Damneub spicy?
Bai Damneub as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Bai Damneub vegetarian or gluten-free?
Bai Damneub is suitable for vegetarian (and vegan if dairy is omitted) diets.
How hard is Bai Damneub to make at home?
Bai Damneub sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 540 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Bai Damneub be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 6 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Bai damneub is Cambodian sticky rice food — the Cambodian equivalent of Lao khao tom mat or Thai khao tom mat. The rice is cooked the same way as the Lao version but the wrapping technique varies; some cooks use bamboo cylinders (filled and grilled over coals), others use banana leaves (steamed). The dish is travel food: it keeps for days at room temperature in tropical climate, and is the snack of Cambodian bus journeys, picnics and pilgrimages. The mashed-banana filling is the Khmer signature; without it, the rice is plain.
