Ingredients
Rice
- 1 kgglutinous rice
- water, for soaking
- 1 tspsalt
- 200 mlcoconut milk
Sweet filling
- 12small ripe bananas, peeled
- 150 gyellow mung beans, soaked
Savoury filling
- 500 gpork belly, in strips
- 150 gyellow mung beans, soaked
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tspground black pepper
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tspsalt
Wrapping
- banana leaves, cut into large rectangles
- strips of banana leaf or kitchen string, for tying
Equipment
- a very large pot
Directions
- Rinse the glutinous rice several times until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it overnight. It must swell fully or it will not cook through in the parcel. Drain it thoroughly the next day. Toss it with the salt and the coconut milk. Let it stand for twenty minutes to absorb. Preparing the mung beans is done in advance. Soak the yellow mung beans for four hours.
- Drain them and steam them for twenty minutes until soft. Preparing the pork filling takes a little marinating. Cut the pork belly into long strips. Toss them with the garlic, pepper, fish sauce and salt. Let them marinate for at least an hour. Pork belly is used because the fat renders during the long boil.
- Cut them into rectangles of about thirty by forty centimetres. Wrapping them is the difficult part and takes practice. Lay two leaves overlapping, shiny side down. Spread a line of rice down the centre, about twenty centimetres long. Lay a banana or a strip of pork along the rice. Add a line of mung beans alongside it.
- Cover the filling with more rice. Forming the cylinder takes both hands. Fold one long side of the leaf over the filling. Fold the other side over it, overlapping. Press it into a firm cylinder as you fold. Fold the two ends up against the body of the parcel. Tying them firmly is what holds them through hours of boiling.
- Tie the parcel with strips of leaf or string. Tie them firmly but not so tight that they burst. Leave a little room but no gaps for water to enter. Boiling them takes several hours. Pack the parcels upright in a very large pot. Cover them completely with water.
- Bring it to the boil and lower it to a steady simmer. Boil them for three to four hours. Check the pot every forty minutes. Add boiling water so the parcels stay covered. Never add cold water, which stops the cooking. Take one out after three hours and let it cool for ten minutes. It should be completely soft and translucent throughout.
- Return the rest for another hour if it is not there yet. Lift them out and hang them or stand them to drain. Let them cool completely, which takes a couple of hours. They firm up as they cool and slice much better. Cut the cylinder across into thick slices. They keep for three or four days at room temperature.
Technique
- Soak the glutinous rice overnight, or it will not cook through in the parcel.
- Wilt the banana leaves over a flame first, since untreated leaves split when folded.
- Top up with boiling water throughout, as any parcel left uncovered will not cook.
Substitutions
- Foil over baking parchment if banana leaves are unavailable.
- Black glutinous rice mixed in for colour.
Variations
- Num ansom chek, the sweet banana version.
- Num ansom chrouk, the savoury pork version.
- Sliced and grilled the next day.
History
Sticky rice logs wrapped in banana leaf with pork or banana, made for Pchum Ben and Khmer New Year and given as offerings.
Frequently asked questions
What is Num Ansom?
Num Ansom is a snack from Cambodia: festival sticky-rice cylinders with banana or pork, wrapped in leaves. Sticky rice logs wrapped in banana leaf with pork or banana, made for Pchum Ben and Khmer New Year and given as offerings.
How long does Num Ansom take to make?
Num Ansom takes 1 hour plus overnight soaking of preparation and 4 hours of cooking. The recipe makes 12 parcels. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Num Ansom?
Yes, within limits. Foil over baking parchment if banana leaves are unavailable. Black glutinous rice mixed in for colour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Num Ansom?
Rinse the glutinous rice several times until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it overnight. It must swell fully or it will not cook through in the parcel. Drain it thoroughly the next day. Toss it with the salt and the coconut milk. Let it stand for twenty minutes to absorb. Preparing the mung beans is done in advance. Soak the yellow mung beans for four hours.
