Amok Trei, Cambodian-style fish

Amok Trei is a traditional Cambodian dish featuring fish steamed in banana leaves with a creamy coconut milk sauce and fragrant spices. This dish is often served at festivals and family meals. Wrapped in banana leaves, it releases subtle aromas while preserving the tender flesh of the fish. A naturally gluten-free dish, perfect for a Cambodian culinary adventure.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time 25 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 4

Ingredients

500 g of white fish (tilapia, cod, sea bream, sea bass)
200 ml of coconut milk (use the thick part from the top of the can)
1 eggs
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp of sugar (coconut, palm or brown)
2 leaves for wrapping (or, failing that, green cabbage leaves)
Kaffir lime leaves for decoration (optional)

"Kroeung" curry paste

3 lemongrass stalks (white part only, very finely chopped)
3 cloves of garlic.
2 cm of galangal (or ginger if unavailable)
2 kaffir lime leaves (or the zest of half a lime)
1 tsp of turmeric powder.
2 shallots.

Preparation

1
Mix or pound all the ingredients of the paste (lemongrass, garlic, galangal, kaffir lime, turmeric, shallots) in a mortar until you obtain a smooth and very fragrant paste.
2
In a large bowl, mix the Kroeung paste with the egg, sugar, fish sauce, and coconut milk. The mixture should become smooth and creamy.
3
Gently add the fish cubes to the cream. Mix gently so that each piece of fish is well coated without being crushed.
4
Traditional cooking method: Pour the mixture into ramekins lined with banana leaves (or simply into individual steaming bowls).
5
Place the bowls in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes. The mixture should set like a flan, while remaining very soft to the touch.
6
Just before serving, pour a small spoonful of fresh coconut cream on top and decorate with thin strips of kaffir lime leaves or some minced sweet red chili.

Keywords: Amok Trei recipe, Cambodian recipe, gluten-free fish recipe