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White bowl with red/orange coconut and mushroom relish, topped with flecks of green spring onions
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Cambodian coconut and mushroom dip

Serve this rich and creamy coconut and mushroom relish with crudités, bread, fried rice crackers, and/or rice. Dare I say you could dip crisps in should you wish.

Ingredients

Paste

  • 1 generous pinch salt
  • 25 grams sliced lemongrass (from the root end of the stalk only) scant ¼ cup
  • 5 grams galangal 2 teaspoons roughly chopped
  • 5 grams fresh turmeric 2 teaspoons roughly chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon makrut lime zest (you can also use a deveined lime leaf)
  • 1 long red chilli or bird's eye, for a spicier verson
  • 2-3 cloves garlic about 1 tablespoon chopped
  • 25 grams shallot, sliced 3 tablespoons

Relish

  • 20 grams dried mushrooms Use flavoursome varieties such as boletes, shiitake, morel, tea tree, etc
  • 2 teaspoons oil preferably virgin coconut oil but vegetable or olive will do
  • 200 millilitres coconut milk, divided Avoid low fat varieties
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar
  • 30 grams toasted peanuts, ground 3 tablespoons toasted and ground peanuts

Instructions

  • First make the paste with a pestle and mortar. Pound the salt, lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric into a smooth paste. Then add each ingredient as it's listed, in order, one at a time, pounding each until smooth.
  • Add the dried mushrooms to a spice mill or blender and pulse until fine. The texture is up to you – a little chunky or fine as a powder. You don't want any large pieces.
    Alternatively, if you don't have a blender, soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft. Then drain and finely chop them.
  • Add the oil and 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk to a saucepan, along with the paste from step one. Heat on medium low, stirring frequently, for a few minutes until it no longer smells like raw onion and garlic.
  • Add the remaining coconut milk, soy sauce, palm sugar, and mushrooms. Give everything a stir and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. You should see some vibrant red oil rise to the top. Turn off the heat and stir in the peanuts.
  • Leave to cool to room temperature and serve with sliced baguette, rice crackers, and/or crudités.