Bird dumplings (kanom jeeb nok): sweet-savory pork filling in a chewy rice-flour and coconut dough, shaped as birds and steamed

Put a little oil in the pan without waiting for it to get hot and add the pounded cilantro root, garlic and white peppercorn paste over low heat, since it burns easily.

Add the ground pork, then the palm sugar, which makes the filling sticky enough to hold together, and the fish sauce.

Cook until dry; at the finish add fried shallots, fried garlic and chopped coriander. Cool the thick paste completely to room temperature so it is sticky; it keeps a few days in the fridge or about a month frozen.

Make the dough off the heat: thinned coconut milk (half coconut milk, half water), glutinous rice flour, regular rice flour, arrowroot starch, potato starch and coconut oil; strain if lumpy.

Cook over heat, stirring constantly so the flour at the bottom does not stick, until it forms a dough.

Knead the dough while still warm with a little extra potato starch until smooth and shiny.

With floured hands, form the bird head, then press a thin crater for the cold filling; fill, cover with dough and remove any excess.

Dip the base in rice flour and pinch the details with tweezers dipped in flour each time; make a hole for the beak and eye sockets with a toothpick and set sesame seeds as eyes.

Steam 8 to 10 minutes.

Brush with garlic oil, top with fried garlic and serve with fresh lettuce, cilantro and chilies.