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full of flavor • classic • delicious!
Amok is a classic Cambodian dish, and it’s also one of my favorites.
It is so filling and so full of flavor, while being quite delicate in flavor. Coconut milk and lemongrass paste are the foundations of this dish. People in Cambodia often make amok with fish, but I like it too with chicken, shrimp, tofu, or just vegetables. It’s easy to make vegetarian!
Make life easy!
Amok is actually quite easy and fast to make when you have ready-made lemongrass paste. You can find my lemongrass at shops around Phnom Penh. My paste has lemongrass (of course), garlic, galangal, kaffir lime, a bit of turmeric, and a bit of salt (so it's vegetarian and vegan).
Just a big spoon of my paste in any dish brings SO much flavor. And it’s no work for you! My recipe is a bit stronger with the lemongrass flavor than others you might try. I think it tastes more yummy and more fresh!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Saody’s Homemade Products lemongrass paste*
~300gr tofu, chicken, shrimp, or fish, cut into small pieces
100ml coconut milk** plus 3 tablespoons
2 eggs
Optional : Spinach, other leafy greens
How to Make
Mix together lemongrass paste, 1 egg, 100ml of coconut milk, and your meat/seafood/tofu in a small pot or strong bowl (not plastic). Set aside.
On the stove, fill a large pot with a few centimeters of water (maybe around 5-7cm). Turn on the stove so the water is simmering (do not let it boil too hard).
When the water is hot, place the bowl with your lemongrass + coconut milk mixture into the large pot, so the small bowl is surrounded by water. If the water is too high, remove a bit. The water should not go inside the small bowl.
Cover the large pot and leave for around 20 minutes. The steam will cook the amok!
While it is cooking, in another small bowl mix the remaining coconut milk cream (just a few tablespoons) with 1 egg. When the amok is finished cooking, before serving, add this mixture. This is also when you can add any greens like spinach that will cook fast in the hot mixture. If you add vegetables that take longer to cook, add them at the beginning or half-way.
Eat when hot! If you let the amok cool down, it will harden a bit (still tasty, but different texture).
Extra Notes
*Click here to find where to buy my lemongrass paste, or contact me on Facebook or Telegram.
**The best coconut milk is fresh at the market. Look for the sellers who grind coconut milk with big metal machines. If you use this, best to buy the same day, because it will not stay fresh for long. Or, you can always buy coconut milk in cans at the supermarket! Note that canned coconut milk can be stronger and sweeter than fresh. If you find it’s too strong, you can reduce and mix with a bit of water.
Variations
It’s not traditional... but I love to add a bit of paprika powder!
You can make a white amok with just egg white, remove the egg yellow.
For a special occasion, you can try cooking your amok in a coconut! Just put your coconut inside a bowl first, so the outside of the coconut doesn’t touch the water. Another very special way is to cook your amok in a pineapple! Cook the amok as in my recipe (in a bowl) part-way, for around 15 minutes. Then pour it into a half pineapple (remove the insides first). Put the pineapple back in the pot on a plate or in a bowl so it doesn’t touch the water, then continue steaming another 5 minutes until fully cooked.
I hope you love this recipe!
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and let me know 😊
Did you know I also teach Cambodian cooking classes on demand? Contact me to find out more!
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