Although steamed curries might be less familiar than Thai red and green curries, they are commonly eaten throughout the country. At the back of most curry stalls there is a huge metal steamer where steamed fish curry is cooked and kept warm, waiting to be sold. Saltwater and freshwater fish are most often found in such a curry but prawns, scallops and mussels can also find their way into the spicy mousse. In the north, I have seen parcels filled with chicken, cured pork, wild mushrooms or shredded boiled bamboo treated in this way.
Hor mok literally means something wrapped in a parcel – and in Thailand, that means wrapped with banana leaves. The Thais have created a variety of ways to fold these durable leaves into containers. If banana leaves are unavailable or the intricacies of banana-leaf origami escape you, a less confounding method is simply to steam the prepared mousse in a shallow ceramic bowl. This curry is best served warm, even hot – just lifted from the steamer, garnished and served.