Ingredients
Method
Sweet Sauce:
- 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.
Prepare the yellow lemongrass paste "Kroeung":
- 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.
Cook the fish:
- 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.
Creamy yellow fish gravy ( Samlor Khmer or Samlor Proher ):
- 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.
Cook the noodles:
- 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.
Plate and Serve!
- 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!