Method
- Make the kreung: pound lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, half the kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic, soaked chilies and shrimp paste in a mortar to a fine fragrant paste. Khmer cooking is built on this kroeung; making it from scratch is the technical foundation.
- Slice the fish into 3cm chunks. Mix with the kreung paste in a bowl. Fold in coconut milk gradually, beating gently with a spoon, until the mixture turns silky and emulsified.
- Add fish sauce, palm sugar, beaten egg and rice flour. Mix until smooth. The custardy consistency is what makes amok set into firm slices when steamed.
- Form banana-leaf cups: pleat each square into a small bowl shape, securing the corners with toothpicks. Make 4 cups.
- Layer shredded noni leaves at the bottom of each cup. Spoon the fish-curry mixture over to fill, leaving a 5mm rim. Top with the remaining shredded kaffir lime leaves and a drizzle of thick coconut cream.
- Steam the cups over rapidly boiling water for 25 minutes. The amok should be set firm and a toothpick should come out clean. Serve warm in the leaf cups.
Common questions
Can Fish Amok be made ahead?
Fish Amok 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 30 minutes.
Is Fish Amok spicy?
Fish Amok 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 Fish Amok vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Fish Amok to make at home?
Fish Amok is more demanding — total time around 60 minutes plus marinating/resting where noted. Specific technique (knife work, wok hei, fermentation) makes the difference between a passable result and the real thing.
Can Fish Amok be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 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
Fish amok is the most internationally-recognised Cambodian dish — a relatively recent globalisation, since Khmer cuisine was hidden by decades of war and the Khmer Rouge era. The dish has Khmer royal court roots; older versions used the noni leaf (slok ngor) which gives a slight bitter complexity that contemporary versions sometimes skip. Snakehead (trey ros) is the most traditional fish; the firm flesh holds up to the long custard-cook. Phnom Penh restaurants serve amok in clay or banana-leaf cups; the leaves perfume the dish in ways aluminium foil can't match.
