How to Make Ombul Bok - Battambang's Legendary Tamarind Paste

Battambang province, Cambodia - September 2, 2013 - Ombul bok, or tamarind paste, is one of the most legendary condiments of the Asian continent, and Battambang is renowned for the deliciousness of this delicacy (amongst other things). It has a sour and spicy flavour and can be eaten with almost anything: steaks, plain old rice, vegetable dishes, but it is most commonly eaten with fish. Neng is going to teach us how to make it. Let's start with the ingredients.

a) Ombul k'chey - Unripe tamarind

b) Gom-bpOOh - Small river shrimp

c) Jii krahorm - Sweet basil

 

e) Skor - Sugar (mine currently infested with ants). You will also be needing f) fresh chilli, and g) Knorr, or some kind of chicken stock seasoning

Okay moving on with the instructions. First put the tamarind into the mortar one by one because they are quite hard...

Then smash 'em.

Once they're all smashed take the paste out...

...and squeeze all the juice out of it.

So it should look like this.

Add the chicken powder and sugar. You can continue doing this liberally as you make it according to taste. Mix it up.

Next add the shrimps.

Smash 'em up.

Add the sweet basil.

Smash it up.

Add the chili whole.

Smash it up. Harder this time. Make sure it is broken up and spread around so it's not too spicy.

And that's it! You're finished.

If you plan on making it (or rather if you can find the ingredients), feel free to be liberal with the amounts of stuff you put in. It is also often made with crushed peanuts. There are many different styles, and creativity in Cambodian cooking is encouraged.