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Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Fish amok

Cambodia

Fish amok (Amok trey)

A coconut fish curry set into a custard by steaming in banana-leaf cups.

Fish amok
Different technique Mild

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Fish amok. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Fish amok

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 500 g Firm white fish fillets, sliced.

From the base recipe

  • Onions not used
  • Green chillies not used
  • Cooking oil not used
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • Turmeric not used
  • a pinch · not used Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Fish amok

  • 4 tbsp Kroeung paste (lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime, garlic)
  • 300 ml · 4 tbsp Coconut milk and coconut cream
  • 1 An egg
  • 1 tbsp · 1 tsp Fish sauce and palm sugar
  • 1 handful Noni or spinach leaves
  • 4 Banana leaf cups

Leave out

  • Onions
  • Green chillies
  • Chilli powder
  • Whole spices

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Fish amok: do thisSkip the onions and chillies.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Fish amok: do thisInstead, pound or blend the kroeung paste.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Fish amok: do thisUse the sliced fish.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Fish amok: do thisMix the fish with the paste, coconut milk, egg, fish sauce and sugar.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Fish amok: do thisSkip the chilli powder; the turmeric is in the paste.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Fish amok: do thisSkip the water.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Fish amok: do thisLine banana-leaf cups with leaves, fill with the fish mixture and steam 20 minutes until set like a custard. Top with coconut cream.

Serve: With rice; Cambodia’s national dish.

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

← Fish head curryAll curries on the mapVietnamese chicken curry (cà ri gà) →

Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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