Kaeng No Mai (ແກງໜໍ່ໄມ້ (Kaeng no mai))
Overview
Kaeng no mai is a Lao bamboo shoot soup with a deep green colour. Leaves of yanang, a climbing vine, are rubbed in water and squeezed to make a dark green juice, which is the base of the soup. Fresh bamboo shoots, cut into strips and boiled to remove their bitterness, are simmered in it with lemongrass, chillies and shallots, along with chunks of pumpkin, oyster mushrooms, loofah or Lao eggplant. A handful of soaked sticky rice, pounded to a paste, is stirred in to thicken it, and it is seasoned with padaek, the fermented Lao fish sauce. Herbs such as lemon basil and sawtooth coriander are added at the end.
History
Kaeng no mai is one of the classic dishes of Laos and of the Lao-speaking Isan region of north-east Thailand. It is cooked mainly in the rainy season, from about June to September, when young bamboo shoots push up in the forests and are sold in every market. Gathering shoots and forest leaves is a family activity in rural villages, and the soup is eaten with sticky rice, the staple of Lao meals.
Main ingredients
Bamboo shoots, yanang leaves, pumpkin, mushrooms, sticky rice, padaek. The soup is built on yanang leaf broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Rice soups · Pumpkin and squash soups · More soups from Laos
Recipe
Method
- 1
Rub the yanang leaves in 1.2 l water, squeeze them well and strain the green juice.
- 2
Bring the juice to the boil with the lemongrass, shallots and chillies.
- 315 min
Add the bamboo shoots and pumpkin and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 410 min
Stir in the rice paste and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until slightly thick.
- 5
Season with padaek and add the lemon basil before serving.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 5m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
