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Vegan nom banh chok (Khmer noodles)

Nom banh chok, otherwise known as khmer noodles, is a yellow-green coconut-based fish curry that is garnished with fragrant herbs, seasonal vegetables, edible flowers, and wild herbs. This is a vegan version, with tofu and eggplant, made with the ingredients I could find in Brooklyn. While it’s not traditional, it is super delicious way to experience the dish.

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A bowl of yellow curry noodle soup with tofu, eggplant, bok choy, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and sliced red chili on top.

Nom Bánh chok is a common breakfast dish in Cambodia but can also be eaten at any time of the day. It is usually eaten warm or at room temperature.

Vegan nom banh chok (Khmer noodles)

Serves

Ingredients

neutral oil
1 litre vegetable stock
2 Chinese/Japanese eggplants, sliced into 1 inch chunks
250 g thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
1 (13.5oz / 400ml) can coconut milk, shaken well
2 makrut lime leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce, light soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon brown sugar
sea salt and black pepper
400 g extra firm tofu, cut into cubes or triangles
2 baby bok choy, quartered through stem

Curry paste

2 lemongrass stalk, tender white parts sliced
1 long red chili, roughly chopped
1 inch piece turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
1 inch piece galangal or ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 makrut lime leaves
2 tablespoons neutral oil

Serving suggestions

cucumbers
basil or Thai basil
mint
bean sprouts
sliced red chili

Instructions

To make the paste, place the lemongrass, chili, turmeric, galangal or ginger, garlic, makrut lime leaves and the oil in a small blender and blend until it is of course paste. Alternatively you can do this in a mortar and pestle.
Heat a large pot on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the curry paste and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the vegetable stock and eggplant, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain and run under cold water until the noodles are cool.
To the curry base, add the coconut milk, makrut lime leaves, vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, sugar and season with salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Add the tofu and baby bok choy and cook, uncovered, until the tofu is warmed through and the baby bok choy is just tender, 4-5 minutes.
To serve, place the cooled rice noodles into a bowl and ladle the soup, tofu and vegetables over. Top with your chosen toppings and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips and Variations

Traditionally, the recipe uses galangal but I can’t find it anywhere near me, so I used ginger. I use this vegan fish sauce and of course, you are free to use regular fish sauce if you eat seafood (bear in mind, I only tested this with vegan fish sauce, so you may have to vary the amount). If you use light soy sauce or tamari, you might want to add a splash of lime juice, just to add some acidity (not necessary but nice).

If you can’t find the slim Chinese / Japanese eggplant, use a regular globe eggplant and slice it into 1-inch chunks.