Sticky Rice Balls

(with palm sugar, served with grated, young, fresh coconut)

My Notes

The host of our cooking class, began this recipe with a story about how the name of this recipe in K’mai is something like ‘killing your husband accidentally’.

The story goes that a wife was cooking these, and the husband decided to eat one, without allowing it to cool. The ball got stuck in his throat, the sugar oozed out like lava, and he died. She seemed to think it was quite funny…. We all politely laughed, whilst looking around at each other and wondering if it was ‘a joke’ or for real.

Ingredients

300g Sticky Rice Flour

2 T Palm Sugar, cut into approx 0.5cm cubes

100g Young Coconut, grated

1/3 Cup Water

Method

1. Boil a pot of water

2. Mix the sticky rice flour with water

3. Ball the sticky rice flour mixture and push the palm sugar into the middle. Ensuring it is completely covered

4. Place in the boiling water and wait for them to float.

      5. Once floating, scoop into the cold water

      6. Serve with grated, young coconut

Fish Amok

My Note

I have tasted a few of these since I arrived, and the best so far was from Rendang, (the restaurant where I also ate tarantula) in Phnom Penh, one of the Friends restaurant group.

Ingredients

500g Fish, white and firm

200g Fresh Spinach Leaves

½ to 1 Cup Coconut Cream

1T Dry Chilli Paste

1t Turmeric

1cm Galangal Stalk

2 Lemongrass Sticks

1 Kaffir Lime Leaf

2 Garlic Cloves

1T Fish Sauce

1t Salt

1T Sugar

1 Egg

Oil, to cook

Method

1. Slice and chop the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, garlic and shallots. Pound them until very fine, then add turmeric powder and dry chilli paste. Continue pounding until they are all mixed together.

2. Roughly chop the spinach

3. Slice the fish into chunky pieces

4. Cook the paste in some oil, until fragrant

5. Add the fish and cook thoroughly

6. Cover with coconut cream and allow to simmer

7. Add sugar, salt and fish sauce. Taste and adjust accordingly

8. Whisk egg, then add to the curry, stirring constantly

9. Add spinach leaves

10. Serve with rice, additional coconut milk, if required and julienned chilli (deseeded)

K'mai Mango Salad

Ingredients

250g Chicken or Pork

400g Green Mango

100g Carrot

100g Basil

150g Dried Shrimp

100g Peanuts, chopped and roasted

2T Palm Sugar

1T Salt

2-3 Cloves Garlic

2 Shallots

1 T Lime Juice

Method

1. Cook the meat thoroughly, set it aside, allow to cool, slice it

2. Grate the mango and carrot

3. Slice the garlic and shallots

4. Gently toss the meat in the palm sugar, fish sauce, slat, garlic, shallots and dried shrimp

5. Add the green mango and carrot to the meat mixture

6. Top with basil and peanuts, once plated

Nom Tong Noun

Their Note

These are a delicious snack and perfect to serve with coffee or tea.

My Note

Perfect accompaniment to icecream!

P.S. You need a flat ‘waffle iron’ to make these.

Ingredients

½ Cup Rice Flour

2 Duck Eggs

1 T Sugar

½ Cup Coconut Cream

1 T Black Sesame Seeds

¼ Cup Oil

Method

1. Set aside one duck egg and the oil

2. Take the rest of the ingredients and combine to make a batter

3. Beat the remaining duck egg and mix with the oil

4. Heat your ‘waffle iron’ until it is hot on both sides

5. On one side brush some of the oil mix, until covered

6. Place your batter on the other side

7. Slowly bring the top of the iron onto the bottom

8. Allow to cook until lightly golden on both sides

9. Roll to forms cones, if desired

10. Allow to cool, to room temperature