Num Kom and Fertility

Num kom is a Khmer cake wrapped in banana leaves in a pyramid shape. It is made with glutinous rice flour and has coconut, palm sugar, and black sesame seeds filling. Khmers usually serve num kom as a dessert at big gatherings. But num kom also has a religious connotation; it is a representation of the yoni (vulva, womb), a personification of the divine feminine creative power. If you know your Hinduism, you’d know that the yoni is the counterpart to the linga, which is the mark of Lord Shiva. So of course, num kom has its own counterpart, num ansom which represents the linga. At engagement and wedding ceremonies, num kom and num ansom are always presented together to symbolize the union of the linga and the yoni, the representation of the eternal process of creation and regeneration, the union of male and female principles. In Khmer that union is called mea ba. Num ansom and its meaning will be covered in a future post.

Num Kom

16 oz. grated coconut (I used frozen coconut, thawed)

8 oz. palm sugar

1 oz. black sesame seeds, roasted

A generous pinch of salt

12.3 oz. glutinous rice flour (about 3 cups)

1 ½ cups warm water

Banana leaves for wrapping

Prepare the filling: heat a pan over low heat. Add palm sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the grated coconut and salt. Simmer until the coconut becomes sticky and has absorbed all the sugar. Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and allow it to cool. Make small balls of the mixture, about 1 tbsp. size. You’ll get about 24 to 27 balls.

Make the dough: place the rice flour in a mixing bowl and add warm water and mix until it resembles smooth workable dough that is not too wet and can hold its shape. If it crumbles, it’s too dry, just add a bit more water. If it is too soft, add a few pinches of flour. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Prepare the banana leaves: cut the banana leaves into round shapes of 9 inch diameter. Grease the leaves with flavorless oil. And bring a big pot of water to a boil.

To assemble the cakes: take a piece of dough, about 1 tbsp. and roll it into a ball. Place each ball of dough on the palm of your hand and lightly flatten the ball. Place the filling in the center and bring the edges of the dough up over the filling and seal the ball by pinching the sides together. Roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

To wrap the cakes: follow these pictures below 

Steam the cakes for 20 minutes.