Fresh rice noodles topped with a fragrant green fish curry sauce, raw vegetables, and banana blossom. Cambodia's beloved breakfast.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: large shallow bowl
Garnishes: bean sprouts, banana blossom, fresh herbs
Accompaniments: green fish curry broth
Instructions
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1
Bring five hundred millilitres of water to a simmer in a medium pot. Add the fish fillets and poach gently for ten minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Remove the fish, reserve the poaching liquid, and flake the flesh into small pieces, discarding any bones.
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2
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the kroeung paste and fry for three to four minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and releases a deep, fragrant aroma of lemongrass and turmeric.
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3
Pour in the coconut milk and the reserved fish poaching liquid, stirring to combine with the fried kroeung paste. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for ten minutes until the sauce thickens slightly into a creamy curry consistency.
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4
Add the flaked fish back into the sauce along with the fish sauce. Stir gently to distribute the fish throughout, then taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or salt. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.
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5
If using dried rice vermicelli, cook according to package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water. If using fresh noodles, blanch them briefly in boiling water for thirty seconds just to warm them through, then drain well.
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6
Prepare the garnishes by trimming and washing the bean sprouts, shredding the banana blossom and soaking it in acidulated water to prevent browning, julienning the cucumber, and picking the fresh herbs from their stems.
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7
Divide the noodles among deep serving bowls. Ladle the warm fish-coconut curry sauce generously over the noodles, then top each bowl with a generous pile of raw bean sprouts, shredded banana blossom, cucumber, and fresh herbs.
Did You Know?
Num banh chok is sold by women cycling through neighborhoods every morning, balancing pots on their bikes.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- mortar and pestle
- large pot
- noodle press (optional)
Garnishing
bean sprouts, banana blossom, fresh herbs
Accompaniments
green fish curry broth
The Story Behind Num Banh Chok
The Story: Num banh chok, often called Khmer noodles, is a dish of fresh rice noodles topped with a green fish curry sauce made from pounded lemongrass, turmeric, and galangal, garnished with a profusion of raw vegetables, banana blossom, and herbs. The dish is ancient, with rice noodle production techniques dating back to the Angkor period. Traditionally, the noodles are made fresh each morning by pounding soaked rice into a paste and pressing it through a perforated mold into boiling water.
On the Calendar: Num banh chok is a breakfast dish, sold each morning by women who carry their wares on shoulder poles or bicycle carts through neighborhoods and markets. It is also served at Khmer New Year celebrations and temple ceremonies.
Then & Now: The morning num banh chok vendor remains one of Cambodia's most enduring food traditions, a living link to pre-industrial food culture. While the green curry version is the classic, a red curry variation using coconut milk and a sweet version with palm sugar and coconut also exist.
Legacy: Num banh chok is the taste of a Cambodian morning: fresh, herbal, and alive with the energy of a cuisine that begins each day from scratch.
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