4 people · Medium · 30 min · ₭ Average

The epic Southeast Asian inspired Raya and the Last Dragon is out and the movie includes many iconic Southeast Asian foods, fruits, and vegetables. Watching this film made me think of a particular Lao food and was inspired to make gaeng nor mai som – a soured bamboo soup. Gaeng nor mai som is a traditional stew in Lao food made with soured bamboo, Lao basil, catfish, fresh bird eye chili, cherry tomatoes, and fish sauce!

Credit FB Saeng Douangdara, YT Lao Food at Saeng’s Kitchen

Video

Ingredients

Stew

• 4 leaves of kaffir lime leaves
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
• 1 Lb of catfish, cut into nuggets
• 8 cups of water
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of MSG
• 900 g of sour bamboos shredded (nor sohm), drained and sliced
• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 6 stalks of green onions, chopped roughly
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoe, or 1.5 cup
• 10 leaves of lemon basil leaves

Curry paste

• 4 bird's-eye chili
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 large of shallot
• 1 stalk of lemongrass stalk, chopped

Preparation

1. Use a mortar and pestle to pulverize the Thai chilis, garlic, shallots, and lemongrass into a paste.

2. Add some cooking oil into a pot and add in the paste. Stir it around until its aromatic.

3. Next, add in the lime leaves and 1 stalk of lemon grass.

4. Add in the catfish, and stir for a few minutes. Next, add boiling water into the pot to fill it. Bring it to a boil.

5. Next add MSG and salt.

6. Rinse the bamboo shoots in warm water to rinse. Add it into the pot. Stir it up.

7. Note: If you use fish, you don’t want to mix it too much.

8. Bring it down to medium low and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

9. Add in the tomatoes and green onions. Allow it to simmer for another 5 minutes.

10. Add fish sauce

11. Add the lemon basil and serve