erved with rice on the side. Tart and refreshing, full of fresh herbs, fresh pineapple chunks, and, in this case, green tomatoes. This was my last meal in Phnom Penh before I left.I ate some very delicious dishes in Cambodia, including the unique sour soup. Very rarely was any meal as chili-hot as most Thai dishes, and most dishes did not include coconut milk. An exception was the amok (a word that’s not used to mean what it means in Bahasa, from which we derived the English word, which means to go crazy, most often in a murderous rage) — amok is both spicy and made with coconut milk
1. Add to blender: cilantro, galangal, lemongrass, coriander seeds, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and water. Blend into a very smooth paste and set aside.
2. Soak the tamarind pulp in about 4 tablespoons of hot water for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, scrape the flesh away from the pulp to release the tamarind flavor into the water. Discard the pulp. Set the tamarind juice aside.
3. In a wok (a 12-inch sauté pan is an adequate substitute) over high heat add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the paste and stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes, until the aroma is released. Transfer the cooked paste into a bowl.
4. Add the remaining tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the shrimp and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add all of the sliced vegetables and stir fry for 3 to for minutes, until the vegetables have reached your desired tenderness. Add the paste, chicken stock, salt, sugar, and tamarind juice and stir fry for two more minutes.
5. Garnish with cilantro leaves and served immediately. Serve with jasmine rice and chilies of your choice!