Meang Nem
Meang Nem is a sweet-and-sour Khmer salad with a long history in Cambodia, once prepared and served at the Royal Palace. This is Chef Nak’s version—bright, aromatic, and deeply balanced. Roasted rice powder gives the dish its signature fragrance and gentle nuttiness, lifting the salad into something unforgettable. You may expect the dressing to taste sharply citrusy from lime, bitter lime, and pickled scallion brine, but once it meets the herbs and vegetables, it becomes beautifully sweet-and-sour. It’s also easy to adapt for vegetarians by omitting the dried shrimp and fish sauce (or swapping in soy sauce and sea salt).
From my cookbook SAOY - Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine
METHOD
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Serves: 4–6
Time: Prep 30 min • Make 25 min • Total 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Key flavors: citrus, roasted rice, toasted coconut, sweet–sour
Diet notes: contains seafood (dried shrimp, fish sauce); vegetarian-adaptable (see tip) -
50 g dried shrimp
40 g rice
100 g shredded coconut meat
20 g bitter orange zest
3 chili peppers
50 g roasted peanuts
100 g pickled scallion heads
30 ml brine from pickled scallion heads
25 g galangal
30 g shallot
20 ml bitter orange juice
50 ml lime juice
30 ml fish sauce
50 g palm sugar
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Rinse the rice, soak in water for about 10 minutes, then drain well. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and stir constantly until evenly dark golden brown and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Grind finely using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, then sift through a fine mesh strainer to remove any large pieces. Set aside.
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Thinly slice the shallots lengthwise. Finely chop the galangal, pickled scallion heads, chili peppers, and bitter orange zest. Coarsely grind the roasted peanuts. Heat a frying pan over low heat, add shredded coconut, and toast, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine lime juice, bitter orange juice, palm sugar, pickled scallion brine, and fish sauce. Stir until fully dissolved and well mixed.
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In a mixing bowl, combine dried shrimp, toasted coconut, chopped aromatics, and dressing. Mix well. Add roasted rice powder and stir again. Top with coarsely ground roasted peanuts.
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Place the salad on a large plate. Let each guest spoon a little onto their own small plate, wrap in leafy greens with vegetables, and enjoy in bite-size portions.
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For a vegetarian version, omit the dried shrimp and fish sauce. Season to taste with soy sauce and a pinch of sea salt, keeping the sweet-sour balance.
