Cambodian Bai Mon (Cambodian Steamed Chicken and Rice)

Cambodian Bai Mon By My Mom

This is a pretty basic and simple Cambodian dish, commonly eaten at our home. We only needed a steamer to cook the chicken and to cook the rice (along with the wok to prep the rice). When I first made this dish I was pretty surprised how easy it was to make this. I was expecting more complicated steps to make this spread. The ingredients were fairly basic and stuff we already had at home. I'm so happy I got to learn this dish with my mom! I'm branching out and learning how to make some Cambodian dishes with her, and hoping it'll benefit my sisters and relatives being able to read the recipe, and view the video online, along with everyone else in the world! I tried to be as detailed as I could with the recipe. If more clarification is needed, feel free to contact me! And I will relay the questions over to my mom.

Cambodian Bai Mon (Chicken and Rice) Recipe

Video Tutorial:

Cooking the Chicken

• Whole chicken (any size)
• 1 teaspoon salt (TT)
• 16 cups of water

1. In a large steamer add 16 cups of water. boil the water.
Wash the chicken, and season it with some salt by rubbing it all around.
Add the chicken into the steamer, boil it for 20 minutes, then turn it, and cook for an additional 10-20 more minutes.

Making the Sauce

• 6 pieces of Chili Pepper
• 1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Fish Sauce
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of Boiled Water
• .2 oz Ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic

1. Blend together the chili peppers, ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, some of the water in a blender.

Pour it into a bowl, add in the rest of the water, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce, and stir.

Cooking the Rice

• 1 cup of Sweet Rice
• 5 cup Long Grain White Rice
• 2 tablespoon Chicken base soup granules 
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoon granulated chicken soup base
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 scant tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cup of scallion leek
• drippings, and leftover water from chicken

1. Combine the sweet rice and regular long grain white rice together, wash it three times, and then soak it in some water for 20 minutes
2. Take excess drippings from chicken and the water and add it into a pot. Skim off any fat thats on top. Take 2 1/2 cup out of it.
3. In a wok add oil, garlic, and cook till golden, add leek, cook for 30 seconds. Remove a little over half of what you just cooked and save it in a bowl add in drained rice thats been soaking. Add in granulated chicken soup base, sugar, fish sauce. Fold until the spices are well combined. Add in 2 1/2 cups of the drippings/water from the bottom of the steamer, fold the rice until the water has been drained.
4. Add Rice into the steamer and cook for 30 minutes.


Veggies as a side dish to eat with the chicken

• 2 Cucumbers
• 10 Leeks 3 bulbs
• Lettuce
• Thai Basil + any other herbs

Step By Step Photo Tutorial

Ingredients you'll need are all shown here.

 Wash chicken and season with 1 teaspoon salt or according to taste, rubbing the salt all over the chicken.

Blend together the 6 pieces of chili peppers (without stems), .2 oz ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, some of the 2 cups of boiled water

Pour it into a bowl, add in the rest of the boiling water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup fish sauce, and stir. Set aside for later to use as a dipping sauce.

Combine the sweet rice and regular long grain white rice together, wash it three times, and then soak it in some water for 20 minutes

Add the chicken into the steamer, boil it for 20 minutes, then turn it, and cook for an additional 10-20 more minutes.

Ingredients for rice

Once chicken is cooked take out of the steamer and place it in a bowl with holes over a regular bowl.

Taking the liquid drippings from the bottom of the steamer, remove and place it into a new bowl.

Skim off any extra fat on the top layer of the soup with a spoon. Remove 2 1/2 cups of this soup and set aside to make the rice.

In a wok add 1/2 cup of oil


Add  4 cloves of chopped garlic into the pan, and move around with a spatula

 Cook until golden.

 Add 1 cup of sliced leek and cook for 30 seconds

Remove a little over half of what you were cooking and place in small bowl, cover and set aside for later to use as a topping for your rice.

Add in drained rice that has been soaking. Add in granulated chicken soup base, sugar, fish sauce. Fold until the spices are well combined.

Add in 2 1/2 cups of the drippings/water from the bottom of the steamer, fold the rice until the water has been drained.

Rice ready to go into the steamer.

 Fill the steamer with 16 cups of water, boil. Place a damp cheese cloth over the steamer. Add rice into the steamer, spreading it evenly

 Cover with ends of cheese cloth

  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

 Add a few tablespoons of the oil, leek garlic (that was set aside earlier) bowl over the rice.

 Cut up the chicken

Slice the cucumbers and arrange vegetables onto a plate, add the sauce into a small dipping bowl

 Use the lettuce, cucumber, herbs, and chicken as a wrap. With the fish sauce as dipping and eat with a side of rice.