Recipe
Num Kom (recipe)
Glutinous rice flour dough filled with sesame, coconut and palm sugar, wrapped into banana leaf pyramids and steamed.
This recipe for num kom (នំគម), steamed rice dumplings filled with coconut and sesame, is by Nisha of The Magic Saucepan, published by 196 Flavors.[1][2] Glutinous rice dough is filled with grated coconut, toasted sesame seeds and palm sugar, then wrapped in banana leaf in a pyramid shape and steamed.[1][3]
Num kom is made for Khmer New Year, weddings and Pchum Ben, the 15-day festival when families make offerings to monks in honor of the dead.[1][3] It is traditionally paired with num plae ai as a symbol of the union of men and women.[1] The historian Sambo Manara links num kom to the Brahmanic figure of Uma, wife of Shiva, and to Mea Ba, respect for mother and father.[4]
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups glutinous rice flour
- Warm water, for the dough
- 5 cups freshly grated coconut, about 1 large coconut
- 4 tsp black sesame seeds
- 0.5 cup palm sugar jaggery syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- Banana leaves
- Vegetable oil, for greasing
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat, then stir in the coconut and palm sugar syrup off the heat.
- Mix the filling together and set it aside.
- Combine the flour and salt, adding lukewarm water gradually until the dough is workable.
- Roll the dough into balls of about 5 centimeters (2 inches), flatten them, fill and reseal.
- Cut the banana leaves into pieces of about 17 by 21 centimeters (7 by 8 inches), then wash, dry and lightly oil them.
- Set a dumpling on each leaf and fold it into a pyramid.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket.
- Line the basket with leaves, arrange the parcels, cover them with two layers of leaves and put the lid on.
- Steam about 15 minutes, then serve.