Name: Fish Amok Cambodian Steamed Coconut Fish
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 500g skinless cod fillet, cut into 3 cm chunks; 2 lemongrass stalks, woody outer layers removed, chopped; 15g fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 shallots, peeled and chopped; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 3 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes; 4 kaffir lime leaves, 2 for the paste, 2 shredded finely; 400ml coconut milk, full fat tin; 1 egg, beaten; 1 tbsp gluten free fish sauce; 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 150g spinach, washed; 1 red chilli, finely sliced, to serve; 300g jasmine rice; 600ml water

Fish Amok Cambodian Steamed Coconut Fish

Silky steamed coconut fish custard scented with lemongrass, turmeric and lime leaf, the national dish of Cambodia.

Time1 hr

LevelMedium

Costabout £2.90 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

718kcal
71.4gcarbs
9gof which sugars
31.1gfat
19.9gsaturates
38.1gprotein
3gfibre
1.1gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 servings

Method

1
Drain the chillies and blitz them in a small food processor with the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots, turmeric and 2 lime leaves into a rough paste. Add a splash of water if it will not turn.
2
Rinse the rice and cook it in the water in a covered pan for 12 minutes, then leave it off the heat with the lid on for 10 minutes.
12 min
3
Whisk 250 ml of the coconut milk with the paste, egg, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl. Gently fold in the fish until every piece is coated.
4
Line four heatproof bowls (about 300 ml each) with the spinach leaves. Spoon the fish and its sauce on top.
5
Set the bowls in a steamer, or on a rack in a wide pan with 3 cm of simmering water. Cover and steam for 20 minutes, until the amok is just set and wobbles slightly in the middle.
20 min
6
Warm the last 150 ml of coconut milk and spoon a little over each amok. Scatter over the shredded lime leaf and red chilli.
7
Serve straight away in the bowls with the rice. It should smell sweetly of lemongrass and coconut, and be soft and custardy when you dig in.