Chef-tested recipe
Cambodia’s delicate steamed fish curry, enriched with coconut milk and fragrant kroeung, traditionally cooked until softly set rather than soupy.
Amok trey is one of Cambodia’s best-known dishes. Its character comes from fresh kroeung—lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, makrut lime and aromatics—combined with coconut and fish, then gently steamed in banana-leaf cups.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 35 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Cuisine
- Cambodian
- Course
- Main Dish
- Best Served With
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice, cucumber and simple Cambodian vegetable dishes.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Mortar and pestle or blenderpaid link
- Steamerpaid link
- Mixing bowlpaid link
- Banana leaves or heatproof bowlspaid link
Ingredients
- Kroeung pastepaid link
- 40 g lemongrass, tender inner part, thinly sliced
- 20 g galangal, chopped
- 15 g fresh turmeric, chopped
- 20 g shallot
- 15 g garlic
- 2 makrut lime leaves, finely sliced
- 3 g fine saltpaid link
- Amok
- 600 g firm white fish, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 300 ml coconut milk Shop paid link
- 2 eggs
- 25 ml fish sauce Shop paid link
- 12 g palm sugarpaid link
- 80 g young spinach or noni leaves
- 4 banana-leaf cups or small heatproof bowls
- 80 ml thick coconut creampaid link
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- Makrut lime leaf, finely shredded, to finish
Preparation Overview
Pound the kroeung to a fine paste, combine it with coconut milk, egg and seasoning, fold in the fish, then steam gently over greens until the custard is just set.
Method
-
Pound or blend all kroeung ingredients into a very fine aromatic paste.
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Whisk 250 ml coconut milk with eggs, fish sauce, palm sugar and 45 g kroeung until smooth.
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Fold in the fish and refrigerate for 15 minutes while preparing the steamer.
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Line each banana-leaf cup with greens. Divide the fish mixture evenly among the cups.
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Steam over medium heat for 18 to 22 minutes. The center should be softly set and the fish fully cooked.
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Spoon coconut cream over each portion and steam 2 minutes more.
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Finish with sliced chilli and shredded makrut lime leaf. Serve immediately.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Do not boil the steamer aggressively; gentle steam gives the amok a tender custard texture.
- Use firm fish so the pieces stay intact.
- If banana leaves are unavailable, use small heatproof bowls.
Tips and Variations
- Fresh kroeung is worth making from scratch; pre-ground spices do not give the same citrus-herbal aroma.
- Keep the final coconut cream thick so it sits visibly on the surface.
- The mixture should be fragrant and gently sweet-salty, not heavily spicy.
Storage
Prepare the kroeung up to 2 days ahead. Cooked amok can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently by steaming.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 430 kcal, 34 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate and 27 g fat per serving, excluding rice.
Allergen Notes
Contains fish and egg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is amok trey a soup?
No. Traditional steamed amok is softly set and custard-like rather than a loose coconut curry.
What is kroeung?
Kroeung is a Cambodian aromatic paste built from fresh lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and other aromatics.
