Cambodian or Khmer Noodles “Num Banh Chok Samlor Khmer” a breakfast meal, is served in a variety of restaurants around Cambodia, from luxury restaurants to vendors on the side of the road. It’s served with rice vermicelli noodles in a creamy yellow fish gravy with a mix of fresh raw vegetables and Asian herbs to help balance the flavour.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR THIS DELICIOUS DISH?
SWEET SAUCE:
Water, coconut milk, palm sugar, peanut (roasted and crushed), minced garlic and shallot, split mung bean (soaked in water and roasted), chili flake (soaked in hot water), tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and salt.
To make it even more delicious, add sweet sauce. Since it became so well-liked in Siem Reap, this sauce is now served with Khmer noodles all around Cambodia.
LEMONGRASS PASTE “KROEUNG”
Lemongrass (thinly sliced), galangal (cut into small piece, easy to blend or pound), garlic, kaffir lime leaves (thinly sliced), fingerroot (thinly sliced), turmeric (peel and cut), and water.
YELLOW FISH GRAVY
Samlor Khmer or Samlor Proher
Water, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic clove, fish, salt, fish sauce, chicken soup base mix, coconut milk, fermented fish (prahok).
RICE NOODLES OR RICE VERMICELLI
You can find this type of noodles at any local Asian grocery stores. For 5 servings, you may need 2-3 packages of rice vermicelli (or rice noodles)
VEGETABLES FOR TOPPING
Beansprouts, banana flower, cucumber, long green bean, mint.
Plating, start with the rice noodles and next is raw vegetables, top with creamy yellow fish gravy and last but not least is the sweet sauce
Num Banh Chok
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the peel split mung bean (or yellow mung bean) for 2 hours or overnight in cool water. Then roast till golden crisp over medium heat.
- Place a saucepan over medium-high heat, add coconut milk, chili flakes paste (stir), chopped garlic, minced shallot, and palm sugar, and mix until melted.
- Then add shrimp paste, tamarind paste, and water, and stir to blend.
- Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes, transfer into a serving sauce jar.
- In a blender, combine sliced lemongrass, sliced galangal, garlic, sliced kaffir lime leaves, fingerroot, turmeric, and water, and blend into a smooth paste.
- Extract lemongrass paste and juice using a strainer. Set aside.
- NOTE: traditionally we use mortar and pestle to pound the lemongrass paste without the need of adding water.
- Place a large pot over medium-high heat, bring 2 liters of water to a boil, and add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, crushed garlic cloves, fish, salt, fish sauce, and chicken soup base mix, stir to combine.
- Skim off the foam to make a clear fish broth. Cook the fish for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
- Turn the heat off, then remove the fish from the liquid and drain it.
- NOTE: If you cook one whole fish, wait until it cools enough to handle, and pick the meat from the bones. When you pound the fish be careful not to leave any bones in the meat.
- Use a large mortar and pestle, and pound the fish meat into a paste but not too fine.
- Then add the yellow lemongrass paste "Kroeung" and pound them together. Transfer into a bowl.
- Add the lemongrass paste juice "Kroeung juice" into the pounded fish and Kroeng bowl.
- Then pour in coconut milk ( if you like creamier, add more coconut milk ), stir until well combined.
- Put the fish broth back to boiling, then put the fermented fish in a strainer and place it directly over the broth to extract it. ( Be carefully the bones from the fermented fish )
- Remove the lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, and garlic, and discard them.
- Add the fish and yellow lemongrass paste mixture into the broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat off.
- Place a medium pot over high heat and bring water to a boil., cook for 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Leave for a further 5 minutes, then drain and run under cold water and leave to drain.
- Put the noodles in the boiling water and bring to a boil and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour the noodles into a large basket of cool water to stop the cooking process and start forming the noodles in a circle motion, and extract excess water. Place each of the form noodles into a basket for serving.
- For serving, start with rice noodles by placing them in a serving bowl, topped with vegetables and the creamy yellow fish gravy.
- And last but not least is our sweet sauce. And do not forget the fresh green or red chilies. Enjoy!
[…] made for red curries such as chicken curry, beef stew, and the third is a special yellow soup like Num Banh Chok or Khmer Noodles. Additionally, we may use these lemongrass pastes for marination the beef, chicken, fish, pork, and […]
[…] more insights and variations on Num Banh Chok, check out Flavourfully Good or explore a detailed recipe on Grantourismo Travels. Embrace the flavors of Cambodia through this […]