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Cambodian

Nom banh chok

Non-vegetarian

នំបញ្ចុក · num banhchok

Soft rice noodles under a light, green-gold fish and lemongrass broth thickened with coconut milk, heaped with crunchy raw vegetables and herbs — Cambodia's classic morning noodle.

Nom banh chok is a Cambodian noodle dish, ready in about 1 hour and made with lemongrass, white fish fillet and rice noodles. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Nom banh chok: rice noodles in green fish curry topped with fresh herbs and banana flower
Photo: Thomas Wanhoff from Siem Reap, Cambodia / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0
Prep
30 min
Cook
30 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
714

Ingredients

4 servings

For the kroeung (paste)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pound the lemongrass (opens in a new tab), galangal (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), shallots (opens in a new tab) and lime (opens in a new tab) leaves to a fine paste.

  2. Step 2

    Poach the fish in the water until it flakes. Lift it out, flake it and pound or mash it with the paste.

    Food safety: Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily (63 °C).

    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Return the fish mixture to the poaching water, add the coconut milk (opens in a new tab), fish sauce (opens in a new tab), palm sugar (opens in a new tab), shrimp paste (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer gently into a thin, fragrant gravy.

    • 15 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Put noodles in each bowl, pile on cucumber (opens in a new tab), sprouts, beans and herbs, then ladle over the hot gravy. Serve with lime (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
Cambodia · Well documentedMore food from Cambodia
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Noodles · Soups
Cooking method
Poached, Simmered
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, fresh, savoury, mild
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food
Cook more with
Lemongrass · White fish fillet · Rice noodles · Galangal · Turmeric · Garlic
Techniques
Simmering · Poaching

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet, fish sauce
  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce, shrimp paste

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

714 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 635 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 57%
  • Fat 28%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy714 kcal112 kcal
Protein27.9 g4.4 g
Carbohydrate101.9 g16 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars3.2 g0.5 g
Fibre——
Fat22.3 g3.5 g
Saturated fat18.9 g3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol54 mg8 mg
Sodium1497 mg236 mg
Salt equivalent3.7 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
987 mg
Calcium
120 mg
Iron
7.1 mg
Magnesium
139 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
30 µg
Vitamin C
14 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
87 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: basil, mint, lime.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): makrut lime leaves.
  • Galangal: Fresh ginger used as a stand-in: no galangal entry in FDC SR Legacy, and galangal is a closely related rhizome used in similar small amounts.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • Shrimp paste: Fish sauce (FDC 174531) at 1.5× as a stand-in salted fermented seafood condiment; protein is understated.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Rinse cooked noodles in cold water and twist them into little nests so they don't clump.

Common mistakes

  • Making the gravy too thick — it should coat the noodles lightly, not like a stew.

Serve with

  • Add banana blossom and water lily stems if you can find them.

Storage

  • Keep the gravy up to 2 days in the fridge; prepare vegetables fresh.

Reheating

  • Warm the gravy gently; do not boil hard.

Variations

  • Nom banh chok samlor khmer: The everyday green 'Khmer' gravy above; a red coconut-curry version (samlor kari) is served at festivals.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

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