Fermented Rice Noodles Served with Pineapple, Fish Balls in Coconut Milk, Grilled Curried Fish Cakes, Young Ginger and Dry Shrimp Powder
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam )

The basic version consists of fermented rice noodles (khanohm jeen), which are served with sweet and sour pineapple, pounded fluffy dry shrimp powder, young ginger, sliced garlic and bird’s eye chilies, and seasoned with sugar, fish sauce and lime according to taste.

It is usually served with a side dish of jaaeng laawn (แจงลอน), freshwater fish balls cooked in coconut cream.

The resulting dish is a harmonious orchestra of colors, textures and flavors – all coming together beautifully.  This is a dish celebrated for its cooling, refreshing and satiating qualities.

For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.

In addition to using pineapple as the featured fruit, Lady Gleep suggests sweet-sour fruit varieties such as pomelo, salacca (ragam – ระกำ) and green mandarin orange (sohm men – ส้มเหม็น).

Lady Gleep also serves the dish with a further variation on the fish balls. As well as the usual fish balls cooked in coconut cream, Lady Gleep adds grilled curried fish cakes called jaaeng laawn bping (แจงลอนปิ้ง)

Jaaeng laawn (แจงลอน) – Fish balls in coconut cream
In her recipe Lady Gleep uses Snakehead fish but we preferred using Clown Featherback (bplaa graai – ปลากราย): The meat of this freshwater fish has a wonderful consistency suitable for making fish balls. Its texture should be developed by intense pounding and kneading, all while maintaining a cold temperature; please do not use a food processor, as it generates unwanted heat that will spoil the texture of the final product.

Start by scraping the flesh of the fish with a spoon. Keep the meat chilled, to prevent the fat from disintegrating and ruining the texture.

The fish meat must be pounded with a pestle in a mortar for quite a long time with pure muscle force – pound it until it thickens and becomes gooey and sticky. You will know you are there when the meat becomes so sticky that you cannot easily lift the pestle.

Use concentrated salt water to rub the pestle from time to time, as this prevents the fish meat from sticking to the pestle and also introduces some saltiness to the meat. Also, keep the pestle cold. You can freeze it before you start working, or soak it in iced water at intervals.

To improve the fish meat texture even further, after pounding it, knead it vigorously, shape it into a ball and throw it forcefully into the pot from a height.

To maintain cold temperatures during the process of working the fish meat, we recommend using two bowls – with one mixing bowl placed in a bigger bowl filled with ice.

In commercial fish ball production, crushed ice is added to the meat and, in some cases, sodium bicarbonate; but we tend to avoid these mass production techniques, preferring to use the authentic, old culinary techniques that are rarely applied nowadays.

Once the fish paste becomes sufficiently gooey and sticky, roll it into balls and cook them in under-boiling temperatures of around 80c (176F). The balls will float when they are fully cooked.

However, today, for our khanohm jeen saao naam, we won’t make round fish balls, but will shape them into a flat, not-too-thin fish cake. We will also use fresh turmeric-tinted coconut milk seasoned with a pinch of salt to cook them. The final product is known as jaaeng laawn (แจงลอน).

Jaaeng laawn bping (แจงลอนปิ้ง) – Grilled Curried Fish Cakes
To make the grilled curried fish cakes, we will first prepare the curry paste from dry chilies, lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, shallots and garlic. We will incorporate grated coconut into the meat and season it simply with fish sauce. The fish meat will again undergo the arduous process of pounding and kneading before we shape it into oval cakes and place on skewers.

We will then grill the fish cakes over low heat, periodically brushing them with coconut cream to create a shiny glaze and retain the moisture.

Serving the dish
You can serve this dish on individual plates or buffet-style,  where each guest selects side dishes to add over the noodles.

We recommend steaming the rice noodles for 10-15 minutes before serving, to freshen them up. Serve with the following side dishes:

• Fish balls in coconut cream (jaaeng laawn – แจงลอน).
• Grilled curried fish cakes (jaaeng laawn bping – แจงลอนปิ้ง).
• Chopped and sliced sweet and sour fruits: pineapple, pomelo and salacca.
• Pounded dried shrimp powder.
• Boiled eggs.
• Thinly-cut julienned young ginger.
• Sliced garlic.
• Fresh, julienned long red peppers.
• Julienned, hair-thin coriander leaves and kaffir lime leaves.
• Sliced lime and green Mandarin orange.
• Nam bplaa phrik (fish sauce and bird’s eye chilies).
• White sugar.

When you are ready to taste this delicious dish, just roll a bite-sized serving of fermented rice noodles onto your plate. On top of the noodles, place some pomelo, pineapple, ginger, a bit of garlic and chopped salacca. Sprinkle some dry shrimp powder, sugar, and squeeze some lime or green Mandarin orange juice, and don’t forget to add chilies and a piece from the fish cakes.

What a heavenly bite! I will leave you now to enjoy it.

Khanohm Jeen Saao Naam Recipe

Hanuman and Chef Thapakorn Lertviriyavit (Gorn)

Rice noodles (khanohm jeen), which are served with sweet and sour pineapple, pounded fluffy dry shrimp powder, young ginger, sliced garlic and bird’s eye chilies, and seasoned with sugar, fish sauce and lime according to taste. The resulting dish is a harmonious orchestra of colors, textures and flavors – all coming together beautifully. This is a dish celebrated for its cooling, refreshing and satiating qualities.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Thai

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• fermented rice noodles (khanohm jeen) (ขนมจีน)
• jaaeng lawn (แจงลอน)
• jaaeng laawn bping (แจงลอนปิ้ง)
• dried shrimp pounded to powder (กุ้งแห้งป่น)
• pineapple (สัปปะรด) cut into small pieces (preferably Thai Si-Racha variety)
• pomelo (ส้มโอ) separated into chunks.
• salacca (สละ หรือ ระกำ) cut into small threads
• young ginger (ขิงอ่อน) thinly-cut julienned
• Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย) thinly sliced
• kaffir lime leaves (ใบมะกรูด) hair-thin julienned
• boiled chicken eggs (ไข่ไก่ต้ม)
• phrik naam bplaa chili and fish Sauce
• lime fruit (ลูกมะนาว)
• green mandarin orange (ส้มเหม็น)
• granulated sugar (น้ำตาลทราย)

For Making Jaaeng laawn bping

• 1 cup clown featherback fish meat (เนื้อปลากราย)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
• 1/4 cup coconut cream (หัวกะทิ)

Curry paste for Jaaeng laawn bping

• 2 dried red long chili (phrik chee fa) (พริกชี้ฟ้าแห้ง)
• 2 tablespoons lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
• 2 tablespoons coriander roots (รากผักชี)
• 2 tablespoons Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย)
• 2 tablespoons shallots (หอมแดง)
• 4 tablespoons grated coconut (มะพร้าวขูด)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (พริกไทยป่น)

For Making Jaaeng laawn

• 1 cup clown featherback fish meat (เนื้อปลากราย)
• 1 1/2 coconut cream (หัวกะทิ)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
• 1 teaspoon fresh turmeric (ขมิ้นชัน)

Curry paste for Jaaeng laawn

• 2 tablespoons Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย)
• 2 tablespoons fresh turmeric (ขมิ้นชัน)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
• 2 teaspoon ground white pepper (พริกไทยป่น)

Instructions

 

• Using a spoon, scrape the fish meat.
  
  

Making Grilled Curried Fish Cakes

• Add salt to a pestle and mortar.
  
  
• Add the curry ingredients, dry chilies soaked in water, chopped lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, garlic and shallots.
  
  
• Pound the ingredients into a smooth paste.
  
  
• Add fish meat.
  
  
• Pound the fish meat in a pestle and mortar.
  
  
• Add grated coconut.
  
  
• Wet your hand with a concentrated salt and water solution.
  
  
• Clean the fish off the pestle with your hand.
  
  
• Season with fish sauce.
  
  
• Knead the fish meat mixture.
  
  
• Use two bowls, one filled with ice, to maintain cold temperatures.
  
  
• The fish meat is ready.
  
  
• On flat skewers, shape the fish meat into elongated balls.
  
  
• Charcoal grill over low heat, brushing the fish balls with coconut cream, until done.
  
  

Making Fish Balls in Coconut Cream

• In a pestle and mortar, pound together into a fine paste the salt, garlic and fresh turmeric.
  
  
• Add fish meat.
  
  
• Pound the fish meat in a pestle and mortar.
  
  
• Season with ground white peppercorns.
  
  
• Wet your hand with a concentrated salt and water solution and clean the fish from the pestle with your hand.
  
  
• The fish meat is ready.
  
  
• Place a pot with coconut cream over low heat, season with a pinch of salt.
  
  
• Add few slices of fresh turmeric.
  
  
• Shape the fish mixture into flat balls.
  
  
• Cook them in the simmering coconut cream until done.
  
  

Plating The Dish

• Serve and plate as described in the article.
  
  

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