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Amok tamal opened on a plate with salsa macha, watermelon radish and coconut-curry sauce

Jeremy Sry × Chef Jose · 🇰🇭 🤝 🇲🇽

Amok
Tamal

Kroeung masa and a mahi mahi coconut-curry custard, steamed in banana leaf and served amok-style with salsa macha.

Cambodian amokMexican tamalSteamed
1Generous serving
15Min prep
15–20Min steam

About 15 minutes of hands-on prep plus 10 minutes marinating; steam 15 to 20 minutes. Making kroeung from scratch adds time.

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The story

Jose was the first chef who took me seriously when I said I wanted to learn how to cook. He taught me how to handle flavors, spices and, honestly, confidence in the kitchen.

This time we flipped roles. He'd never cooked with Cambodian ingredients, so it was on me to carry the culture and develop the recipe with him.

When I think of beautifully unique Cambodian food, I think of amok. When I think of a Mexican dish with real synergy to it, tamal comes to mind. Fuse kroeung into the masa, steam it in banana leaf the way amok is done, dress it with salsa macha, and you get this.

The plan was to serve it like a tamal. We ended up plating it as an amok instead: leaf opened right on the plate, curry sauce underneath, salsa macha and watermelon radish on top.

One of the scariest things you'll ever experience is your sensei reviewing your work.
Jeremy Sry and Chef Jose with the ingredientsJeremy Sry and Chef Jose tasting the finished amok tamal

Jeremy and Chef @chefjosearmando · Watch the reel

How it fits together

Two kitchens,
one leaf.

1

Kroeung

Cambodia's lemongrass, galangal and turmeric paste. The soul of amok.

2

Masa + banana leaf

Kroeung masa under a mahi mahi curry custard, wrapped and steamed the way amok is.

3

Salsa macha

Crunchy chile oil to finish. Heat, crunch, done.

What you need

Ingredients

Makes 1 generous serving. All the coconut milk adds up to about ⅓ cup.

Curry custard The amok

  • 6 oz
  • 2 Tbsp
  • 2 Tbsp
  • 1 large
  • 1 tsp
  • ½ tsp
  • ¼ tsp
  • 1

Kroeung masa The tamal base

  • ~6×6 in
  • ~2 Tbsp
  • To taste

To wrap

  • 1 large
  • ~½ tsp

Sauce and finish

  • ~1 Tbsp
  • To taste
  • 1 Tbsp
  • A few
  • 1 Tbsp
  • 1

You'll need: steamer or large pot with a rack, mixing bowls, whisk or fork, pastry brush, toothpicks or kitchen twine

Make your own kroeung (optional) about 200 g

  • 4 stalks
  • 3 nubs
  • 10 cloves
  • 3
  • 1 Tbsp
  • 6
  • 3–4
  • 1 tsp each
  • ½ tsp

You only need about 2 Tbsp for the custard plus a little for the masa. Freeze the rest in ice cube trays. Short on time? The quick paste from our notes: ½ tsp lemongrass paste, ½ tsp grated galangal or ginger, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, a pinch of chili powder or paprika and 1 tsp neutral oil.

Nutrition Estimate, masa excluded

~560Calories
~42gProtein
~14gCarbs
~38gFat

Approximate, from USDA-style values for the listed ingredients with the optional extra coconut milk left out. Prepared masa is not included because the amount varies, so add the numbers from your masa package.

How to make it

Method

  1. Fresh yellow kroeung in a stainless mixing bowl

    Make or grab the kroeung

    Kroeung is the lemongrass, galangal and turmeric paste behind every amok. To make it, pound the lemongrass first, then galangal and lime leaves, then garlic and shallots, then chilies, turmeric, fish sauce and salt, until it holds together and smells bright. A small food processor works too. Store-bought paste is totally fine.

    Freeze extra in ice cube trays.

  2. Diced mahi mahi coated in the kroeung coconut-curry custard

    Marinate the fish

    Whisk 2 Tbsp kroeung with 2 Tbsp coconut milk, the beaten egg, fish sauce, sugar, salt and sliced lime leaf until smooth. Fold in the mahi mahi and let it sit for 10 minutes.

  3. Folding kroeung into prepared masa in a mixing bowl

    Fold kroeung into the masa

    This was Jose's call. Loosen the prepared masa with about 2 Tbsp coconut milk, then fold in a little kroeung until it turns golden. More flavor in every bite.

  4. Kroeung masa on a banana leaf topped with the mahi mahi curry custard

    Layer it in banana leaf

    Cut out the center vein of the banana leaf and soften it for about 10 seconds over a low flame or in hot water. Brush the soft side with a little oil. Spread half the masa in a 6×6-inch square in the middle, lay the fish on top in a single layer and spoon the rest of the custard over it. Cover with the remaining masa if you like, then fold the leaf into a sealed packet and pin it with toothpicks or tie it with twine.

  5. Yellow coconut-curry sauce swooshed across a white plate

    Steam, then sauce the plate

    Steam on a rack over gently simmering water, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the masa is set, the fish is opaque and a toothpick in the masa comes out clean. Around the 10-minute mark you can drizzle about 1 Tbsp coconut milk on top. While it steams, swoosh the thin coconut-curry sauce across your plate.

Spooning salsa macha over the opened amok tamal

Finish

Dress it.

  1. Set the parcel on the sauced plate and open it up. We served it amok-style, right in the leaf.
  2. Drizzle any curry juices left in the leaf over the top.
  3. Spoon 1 Tbsp salsa macha over everything.
  4. Fan a few slices of watermelon radish on one side. Add herbs and a squeeze of lime if you want. Cheers. Salud.

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