Num Banh Chok
Num Banh Chok is considered the oldest attested Khmer dish, with roots going back to the Angkor period, and women selling fresh rice noodles even appear carved into the 12th-century stone reliefs of Bayon temple. Traditionally, the noodles are still made by hand, by pressing fermented rice dough through a sieve directly into boiling water. It's eaten almost always in the morning, bought from street vendors who walk through neighbourhoods with baskets hung from a shoulder pole, and the combination of fragrant fish sauce with raw vegetables remains the recipe that defines Khmer cuisine for many Cambodians.
Considered the Khmer national dish
Num Banh Chok is often simply called 'Khmer breakfast', a rice noodle dish eaten for generations.
A green sauce built on fish
The sauce is made from boiled, flaked freshwater fish mixed with a rich paste of aromatic herbs.
The pounded paste is the sauce's soul
Lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, and kaffir lime leaves are pounded together into a fine paste.
Fresh raw vegetables on top
Bean sprouts, cucumber, and raw banana blossom are piled generously over the noodles, bringing freshness.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400g thin rice noodles
- 400g white fish fillets
- 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped
- 30g fresh galangal
- 20g fresh turmeric
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 shallots
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- Mixed fresh vegetables (bean sprouts, cucumber, mint)
How to make it
- 1Pound the lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, and shallots into a fine, fragrant paste.
- 2Simmer the fish in water until just cooked, then remove and flake the flesh, reserving the poaching liquid.
- 3Fry the spice paste in a little oil until deeply fragrant.
- 4Add the flaked fish and mash it into the paste until smooth.
- 5Stir in the reserved poaching liquid and fish sauce, then simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 6Cook the rice noodles in boiling water until tender, then drain and divide among bowls.
- 7Ladle the fish sauce over the noodles and top generously with fresh vegetables before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
