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Bok Trob Nyong Trey Chhaer

Bok Trob Trob Nyong (Pounded Pea Eggplant Dip)

5 from 3 votes
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Servings: 4 Servings 4 serving
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cambodian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh pea eggplants ត្រប់ញង
  • 1 whole smoked fish e.g., trey chhaer or a small smoked mackerel
  • 1 tablespoons prahok fermented fish paste
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3-5 fresh red or green chilies adjust to your spice preference
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 shallots thinly sliced
  • Fresh vegetables for serving e.g., sliced cucumber, cabbage, long beans

Method
 

Prepare the Key Ingredients:
  1. Roast the Pea Eggplants, garlic, and chili peppers.
  2. Smoked Fish: Carefully flake the meat from the smoked fish, discarding all bones and skin.
  3. Prahok: Wrap the prahok in a small piece of foil and grill or steam it for a few minutes until it is cooked through and aromatic.
  4. Tamarind: In a small bowl, dissolve the tamarind paste in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Set aside.
Pound and Combine:
  1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the roasted pea eggplatns, garlic and chilies until they form a coarse paste.
  2. Add the cooked prahok and pound it in with the garlic and chilies. This creates a deeply savory and fragrant foundation for the dip.
  3. Add the flaked smoked fish to the mortar.
  4. Add the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and the dissolved tamarind paste to the mortar.
  5. Gently pound and stir with the pestle. You want to bruise the pea eggplants and break up the fish, not mash them into a fine paste. The final texture should be chunky and rustic.
  6. Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon or the pestle.
  7. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The dip should have a complex balance of spicy, salty, sour (from both lime and tamarind), and a touch of sweetness.
Finish and Serve:
  1. Transfer the Bok Trob Trob Nyong to a serving bowl.
  2. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice and a platter of fresh, raw vegetables for scooping.