About this component
The golden-green aromatic paste at the foundation of Khmer cooking, layered with lemongrass, galangal, makrut and turmeric. (This condiment is also drafted as Recipe #81 in the collection; keep the two versions reconciled.)
Component facts
- Yield
- About 1 cup (240 ml)
- Prep
- 30 minutes
- Heat
- Mild (base)
Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.
Ingredients
- 4 stalks lemongrass, tender part, sliced
- 1 in (2.5 cm) galangal
- 1 in (2.5 cm) fresh turmeric
- 6 makrut lime leaves, deveined
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 shallots
- 1 tsp (5 g) shrimp paste (kapi/prahok, optional)
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
Method
- Pound the fibrous aromatics — lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, makrut — with salt until fine.
- Add garlic and shallots; pound to a paste.
- Work in the fermented paste if using, until smooth and glossy.
- Use as the base for amok, soups and stir-fries.
Notes from the book
- Balancing
- Bright, herbal and earthy; smoothness comes from thorough pounding.
- Substitutions
- Food processor with a little oil; ground turmeric for fresh (less vivid); omit fermented paste for a lighter base.
- Storage and food safety
- Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Optional fermented paste adds shellfish/fish.
Pairs with in this book
The Complete Edition
Kroeung (Khmer Lemongrass Paste) sits in the foundations
The book carries this component alongside the other twenty-three, the twenty-seven pantry studies, and the Cambodia chapter it belongs to.
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