Authentic Cambodian Fish Amok Recipe

Cambodian fish amok is the national dish of Cambodia, and for very good reason. Deliciously creamy and mild when compared to neighboring Thailand’s curries, this is one of the best traditional Cambodian food recipes!

Concerned about sourcing ingredients for such an exotic cuisine?

You shouldn’t be. If you enjoy making and eating Thai or Vietnamese food, then you will surely enjoy and know how to make Cambodian food.

Cambodia is squeezed in between Thailand and Vietnam so there is a large influence on Cambodian cuisine from both those countries. Throw in China, India and France, who colonized the country and you have a real pot-pouri of styles, ingredients and influences. So, when it comes to food in Cambodia, it is quite eclectic.

You are bound to find amok Cambodian food recipes that will blow you away (Our amok fish recipe included)!

Read on for some more insights about fabulous Cambodian cuisine and our amok Cambodian ingredients. And further on is the recipe for Cambodian fish amok.

If You Love Thai or Vietnamese Food You Will Also Love Cambodian Food Recipes

Don’t be put off cooking Cambodian food because you are concerned about sourcing ingredients or because it is a cuisine you don’t hear much about. It is true that there is not much known about Cambodian cuisine and authentic Cambodian food recipes but there are reasons for that. Here are two of them:

• Cambodia does not attract the hordes of tourists that flock to Thailand and to a lesser extent Vietnam. Unfortunately, it has not been that long since the country escaped the clutches of the Pol Pot regime and it is still recovering from those horrific days. But the people are wonderful, generous in spirit and very welcoming to guests in their country. Because of the lack of tourists to the country, the word just does not seep out about the wonderful cuisine to the same extent as its neighbors.

• Another unfortunate fact of life in Cambodia, is it is almost impossible for a common Cambodian to attain a passport. The cost is prohibitive and it basically disqualifies 99% of Cambodians the opportunity to travel outside their borders. Great cooks don’t have the opportunity to export their wonderful cuisine to the rest of the world. So, you have to visit to try it!

Cambodian Ingredients for a Fish Amok Recipe

As for ingredients, do you like Thai food? If so, the ingredients are very similar – if you cook Thai you can cook Cambodian cuisine and enjoy Amok food, too.

Ingredients like lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce, palm sugar and shrimp paste are all very common and they are available now in most supermarkets. But you will also see a greater use of eggs and European vegetables than in Thailand thanks to the French influence.

If you have the opportunity, take a cooking class in Cambodia. You can learn easy Cambodian food recipes by doing so so that you can prepare Cambodian traditional food. They are available in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. Fish Amok will likely be one of the dishes you learn to cook in the class. But in the meantime, you can use this Cambodian Fish Amok recipe to try it at home.

Cambodian Fish Amok Is The National Food of Cambodia

As you would expect with such a large coastline, seafood is very popular and Cambodian fish amok is the most popular of all seafood dishes. Fishing is common on the coastline, and on Tonle Sap Lake and River. You can read more about Tonle Sap and the village along the lake in Angkor Wat, Part 2.

We had the great pleasure of enjoying a sunset cruise in Kampot, a highlight of our trip. Watching the fishermen prepare their boats for their night’s work was fascinating. After our relaxing river cruise, we enjoyed Cambodian fish amok for dinner. What a superb meal! So, that meal was the inspiration for presenting this Cambodian amok recipe to you.

Serve Cambodian Fish Amok in the traditional way with steamed rice. It truly showcases the great flavors of South East Asia.

And if you ever have the chance of going to Cambodia, jump on it. It is cheaper than in Thailand and Vietnam. And there is way less commercialization. Go before that happens. The people there would truly appreciate it and you will be blown away by the people, the sights like Angkor Wat and the cuisine of course.

Some More Dishes to Add a Little Spice to Your Life

Do you enjoy warming dishes, like this one? If so, you might like these recipes:

Ema Datshi, a cheese chili dish and the national dish of Bhutan.

Chicken Green Curry, where Thai Green Curry Paste forms the basis of the dish and is a great staple to have in your freezer.

Thai Fish Cakes, where Thai Red Curry Paste. You can find more, great Thai dishes here.

Looking for some Asian-inspired summer salads? Try a Chicken Larb from Laos or a Green Papaya Salad from Vietnam.

This Cambodian Fish Amok Will Make You Cook!

How To Make Cambodian Fish Amok

This Amok powder recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy authentic Cambodian cuisine at home!

Enjoy the sensation of making your own Cambodian fish curry paste. Honestly, it is worth it and will add so much to your authentic Cambodian recipes. And then add wonderful ingredients, most from the supermarket or Chinese grocer, to make Cambodian fish amok, the national dish of Cambodia.

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Authentic Cambodian Fish Amok Recipe

Print Recipe

This Amok powder recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy authentic Cambodian cuisine at home! Enjoy the sensation of making your own Cambodian fish curry paste. Honestly, it is worth it and will add so much to your authentic Cambodian recipes. And then add wonderful ingredients, most from the supermarket or Chinese grocer, to make Cambodian fish amok, the national dish of Cambodia.

Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time
4people	45minutes	15 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4people	45minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

• Course Main Dish
• Cuisine Cambodian and Lao

Ingredients

• Curry Paste
• 1 stem lemongrass outer layer removed, bottom 3 inches finely sliced
• 1 piece galangal about 1 inch (2.5cm), sliced
• 4 kaffir lime leaves sliced, middle stem removed
• 2 red chilies, long Asian style sliced, deseeded
• 4 cloves garlic sliced
• 3 shallots sliced
• 3 tbsp turmeric, fresh or 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp shrimp paste
• Fish Amok
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coconut cream
• 1 lb fish portions thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 lb spinach leaves only, or silver beat leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tbsp palm sugar substitute with brown sugar
• salt, ground sea
• black pepper, ground
• Garnish
• 1 bell pepper (capsicum), red ribs and seeds removed, julienned
• 2 kaffir lime leaves sliced, middle stem removed

Servings: people

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Course Main Dish Cuisine Cambodian and Lao Ingredients Curry Paste 1 stem lemongrass outer layer removed, bottom 3 inches finely sliced 1 piece galangal about 1 inch (2.5cm), sliced 4 kaffir lime leaves sliced, middle stem removed 2 red chilies, long Asian style sliced, deseeded 4 cloves garlic sliced 3 shallots sliced 3 tbsp turmeric, fresh or 2 tbsp turmeric powder 2 tsp shrimp paste Fish Amok 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil 1 1/2 cups coconut cream 1 lb fish portions thinly sliced 1 cup chicken stock 2 eggs lightly beaten 1 tbsp fish sauce 1/2 lb spinach leaves only, or silver beat leaves, thinly sliced 1/2 tbsp palm sugar substitute with brown sugar salt, ground sea black pepper, ground Garnish 1 bell pepper (capsicum), red ribs and seeds removed, julienned 2 kaffir lime leaves sliced, middle stem removed Servings: people Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

1. Place the sliced lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, red chilies, garlic and shallots and pound them until well combined. Then add turmeric and shrimp paste and pound again until smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a pan or wok over low heat. Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant. Add half the coconut cream and stir to incorporate the paste. Simmer until the coconut cream starts to separate. Add the fish and cook for 1 minute after the coconut cream re-boils. Then add the remaining coconut cream and chicken stock.
3. Cook on a low heat until the fish is cooked. Meanwhile combine the eggs and fish sauce. Add the egg mixture to the fish curry along with the spinach, palm sugar and a good grind of salt and pepper. Cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
4. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with the red bell pepper and kaffir lime leaves.

Recipe Notes

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