Ho Mok Pla Recipe (Steamed Curry Fish Custard) | Hor Mok Pla | ห่อหมก (2024)

Ho Mok Pla (Hor Mok Pla)orSteamed Curry Fish Custard is a healthy and light dish commonly served in Thai cuisine. Ho mok consists of curry, fish or another kind of meat wrapped in banana leaves, and is cooked by steaming. In Thai,Homeans to wrap or cover. Mok refers to a traditional cooking method in which food is placed on banana leaves and cooked above charcoal.Pla is translated as fish.

I always enjoyed eating Ho Mok as a child and still do now. One thing that I like about Ho Mok atThai restaurants is that they make them spicy, and I just love spicy foods. But as I’m getting older, my body doesn’t seem to digest spicy dishes so well. So I’ve created aHo Mok Pla(Hor Mok Pla)recipe that is on the mild side. If you prefer a more spicy recipe, add an extra tablespoon or two of red curry paste.

The main ingredients inHo Mok include egg, red curry paste, coconut milk, cabbage, lime leaf, basil, fish, and meat . For this recipe, I left out the cabbage, but feel free to add it when making this recipe. Also, I prefer fish forHo Mok and did not incorporate chicken or pork, hence the recipe Ho Mok Pla(Hor Mok Pla). I actually think it tastes better without chicken or pork. Of course, everyone has their own tastes and preferences.

The dish is usually steamed in a bowl made of banana leaves. Considering that banana leaves may not be accessible at your local grocery store, I recommend a microwave safe bowl or ramekins to steam the Ho Mok Pla(Hor Mok Pla). Interestingly, Ho Mokhas some western influences; however, the incorporation of Thai ingredients such as coconut milk and curry paste has transformed it into a Thai dish with Thai style.

Prepare your ingredients. First, pick off the leaves from half of the basil bunch and set aside. Julienne lime leaves and set aside. In a bowl, mix the curry paste and coconut milk together. Blend it well until the paste has become smooth and incorporated into the coconut milk. After mixing, add in the lime leaves, egg, fish sauce, and basil. Then add in the basa fillet.

Place a few basil leaves at the bottom of your ramekins or microwave safe bowl. Scoop the fish custard mixture into the bowls. Steam each bowl or ramekin for 15-20 minutes.If you have a big pot that will fit your bowls, place all the bowls in the pot so all of them will be done steaming at the same time.

The garnish is optional for this dish. Julienne red peppers and mix 1/2 tsp of corn starch with enough water to dissolve it. In a small pot, heat 4 tablespoons of coconut milk and slowly stir in the corn starch. The corn starch will thicken the coconut milk into a jelly. When theHo Mokis ready, spoon the thickened coconut milk on top and add thered peppers.

The dish is finally ready! Enjoy your lovely Ho Mok Pla(Hor Mok Pla)with a serving of Jasmine Rice. Feel free to leave a comment about my recipe or send me pictures of your creation. I would love to hear from you.