cambodia

Sweet, spicy, and aromatic, these vibrantly delicious galangal-and-lemongrass–marinated beef skewers are a Cambodian street food staple. 

Sach Ko Ang

shallot, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

vegetables

rice vinegar vinegar

grated palm sugar, coconut sugar, or (packed) light brown sugar

Tbsp Diamond Crystal

lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced

long red chiles (such as cayenne

shallots, divided

garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided

lime limes

galangal

Tbsp. oyster sauce

sugar

Tbsp. fish sauce

garlic powder

Tbsp. vegetable oil,

lb. trimmed boneless sirloin or rib-eye steaks, cut into 1" pieces

Sixteen 8"–10" metal

The distinct fragrance of sach ko ang (សាច់គោអាំង) fills the air at most street food markets and community gatherings in Cambodia. I learned to recognize the smell of these sizzling barbecued beef skewers, a traditional Khmer food, during a visit to Cambodia more than a decade ago (sach ko translates to “beef” and ang to “barbecue”). It became a mission to seek it out wherever I traveled there, sampling its many variations in a country not widely recognized for its incredible cuisine.
At the heart of the dish is kroeung (គ្រឿង), one of five signature spice pastes used in Khmer cookery. Galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves form the aromatic flavor base of each kroeung, which branches into different styles depending on what else is added. Sach ko ang uses yellow kroeung, owed to the fresh turmeric that gives it its golden hue.
You’ll most commonly find sach ko ang at bustling street food stalls where vendors grill them upon clay braziers (charcoal burners). Passersby can purchase a single skewer or two to be eaten on the go as an afternoon snack, but at lunchtime they’re eaten as a complete meal with a side of sweet crunchy green papaya and carrot pickle (chruak l’hong or ជ្រក់ល្ហុង), served inside a crusty baguette or with steamed rice. In addition to the kroeung marinade, the beef is seasoned with oyster sauce and palm sugar along with a multitude of added variations ranging from toasted ground star anise, MSG, chili paste, or fish sauce. My version is inspired by a recipe taught to me by Pek Sarann, a Khmer cook from Phnom Penh and owner of Bok it Ihe (បុកឥតល្ហែ) restaurant in Koh Kong, who learned the recipe from her mother. While other Khmer cooks prefer a longer marinade for more developed flavors, Sarann cooks her skewers after a short 30-minute marinade, amplifying the freshness of the ingredients in the kroeung.
When preparing kroeung, it’s best to wear gloves, as fresh turmeric stains fingers. The quick-pickle is ready to eat after just 30 minutes. To make a more substantial meal, add steamed rice or serve inside a buttered baguette with the pickle, and drink with an ice-cold beer, just as the Khmer people do. —Lara Lee

Bon Appétit

Toss shallot, garlic, ginger, and vegetables in a medium bowl to combine, then add vinegar, palm sugar, and salt. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes for a quick-pickle, or chill up to 12 hours..

Pulse lemongrass, chiles, shallots, garlic, lime leaves, galangal, turmeric, oyster sauce, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic powder, 2 Tbsp. oil, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor to a finely textured paste.

Transfer paste to a large bowl and add beef. Using your hands, massage paste into meat until completely coated. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes, or chill up to 12 hours. If chilling, let beef sit out at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Thread beef onto skewers. (Alternatively, you can cook these in a cast-iron skillet lightly coated with oil.) Grill, turning about every minute or so, until browned and lightly charred in spots, 6–8 minutes for medium, or done to your liking. (The beef should be firm to the touch with a little bounce when pressed and slightly pink in the center.)

Transfer skewers to plates and very lightly season with salt. Drain pickles and serve on the side.

This comes from Somontha Ong, owner of Khmer Touch Cuisine in Siem Reap, a chef I met years ago when she cooked at Amansara. Her deft hand captures the authentic Khmer flavours beautifully, says Christine.

Nhoam Svay Trei Ang (palm sugar fish and mango salad)

kingfish fillets (skin on)

peanut oil

green mangoes (from Asian food shops), shredded

Thai basil, leaves

mint, leaves picked,

red chilli and lime cheeks, to serve

Asian (red) eschalots, finely chopped

garlic cloves,

red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped

red chilli, thinly sliced

finely grated palm sugar

(80 milliliters) fish sauce

(80 milliliters) lime juice (from about 4 limes)

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This Cambodian green papaya salad recipe makes Cambodia’s Bok Lahong or Nhoam Lahong, a fragrant, crunchy pounded salad that’s a little funky, spicy, sour, salty, and sweet. Typically eaten as a late afternoon snack, and made to order, it has cousins in Laos (Tum Som), Thailand (Som Tum), and Vietnam (Gỏi Đủ Đủ).

Cambodian Green Papaya Salad Recipe

garlic (finely chopped)

2-3 bird’s eye chillies (finely chopped)

purple shallots (finely sliced)

tbsp fish sauce

tbsp liquid palm sugar –

tbsp lime juice

shrimp paste (optional)

shrimps

green papaya

carrot

cucumber

cherry tomatoes

herbs

peanuts

Throw the finely chopped bird’s eye chillies and garlic, finely sliced purple shallots, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, and optional shrimp paste (only add this if you like funky flavours) into your big wooden mortar and pestle and pound until everything is well combined and soft and juicy. You don’t want the consistency of a spice paste so don’t go too far.

Soak your dried shrimps in a small dish of hot water for about ten minutes.

Prep all your fresh fruit and vegetables, grating, shredding or julienning your green papaya, carrot and cucumber, and slicing your cherry tomatoes in half, then pop the lot in a big salad bowl.

Wash and gently pat dry your fresh fragrant herbs – basil is essential, coriander and mint and also nice – pluck the basil and mint leaves from stalks, but leave some coriander sprigs in there. Add most to the salad bowl, leaving some to garnish.

Drain your dried shrimps and add half to the salad bowl, along with two tablespoons of peanuts, and the juicy dressing that you first pounded until soft. Gently combine everything together, using gloved hands.

Pile the salad onto a serving plate and then garnish with the remaining fresh herbs, dried shrimps, and peanuts, and serve immediately.

This Samlor Korko recipe makes a traditional Cambodian stirring pot soup, a healthy and hearty Cambodian vegetable soup. Also written as samlor korkor, samlor koko, samlaw kako, and so on, it&#39;s a much-loved soup that for many Cambodians, particularly of an older generation, it&#39;s Cambodia&#39;s national dish. With the inclusion of kreoung and prahok, it&#39;s quintessentially Cambodian.

Samlor Korko Recipe for a Traditional Cambodian Stirring Pot Soup

tsp prahok (or 2 tbsp fish sauce)

pumpkin

long Asian eggplant

eggplants

pea eggplants

carrot (large)

beans beans

winged beans

green jackfruit

green banana

tbsp neutral cooking oil

pork

catfish

tsp salt

tsp palm sugar or brown sugar

water (or vegetable stock)

Use our recipe to make a green kroeung Khmer herb and spice paste.

Put 1 teaspoon of prahok (fermented fish paste) in 50 mls of water, stir vigorously and mash any chunks until they’re almost dissolved. Discard any bones and stringy pieces.

Dry roast the long grain rice in a wok (see notes above).

Prepare the vegetables and fruit, chopping everything into bite sized pieces: chop your Asian pumpkin and long Asian eggplant into bite sized pieces; cut the small round eggplants into quarters; slice the carrot into ½ cm slices to give colour to the dish; chop the beans into pieces of approx. 4cm length; chop the papaya into bite-size pieces; slice the green banana into ½ cm slices; and cut the green jackfruit into strips lengthways. Set everything aside.

Stir-fry the pea eggplants in 1 tablespoons neutral cooking oil in a wok on medium-high heat, constantly stir-frying the eggplants until they are soft, brown and a little charred. This removes the bitterness and sweetens. Set them aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large soup pot. Add two tablespoons of green kroeung and quickly fry for a minute or less to release the aromas, before adding the chopped pork or chicken, the prahok in its liquid or fish sauce, salt, and sugar, and fry until cooked.

Add two cups of water (or vegetable stock), then the firmest vegetables first, such as the pumpkin, carrots and green fruits, along with half the dry-roasted rice, stir, and bring to a boil, before turning down the heat to simmer gently.

Add another two cups of water to the pot, along with the catfish if you choose to use it (or fish of your choice), the remaining vegetables that take less time to cook, and the other 2 tablespoons of green kroeung, and stir.

Continue to simmer gently, add the remaining roasted ground rice, and the remaining water, stir, and continue to simmer until you have a dense, hearty, almost stew-like soup.

Taste, and add more salt or sugar if needed so that the flavour is balanced. If necessary, add more water, stir, simmer, then ladle into individual bowls. If this is a main meal, Cambodians would eat this with steamed white jasmine rice.

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Nhoam Svay Trei Ang (palm sugar fis...

Cambodian Green Papaya Salad Recipe

Samlor Korko Recipe for a Tradition...

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