cambodian

Salty, sweet, pungent, and slightly spicy, this chicken stir-fry makes a great introduction to Cambodian food.

Cambodian Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry (Cha Kreung Satch Moan) Recipe

For the Kreung:

lime

shallot,

garlic, peeled (25 grams)

basil

For the Stir-Fry:

(120 milliliters) vegetable oil, divided

(900 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breast

(10 milliliters) Asian fish sauce, divided

granulated sugar, divided

cube (6 grams) chicken bouillon,

jalapeños (150 grams), stemmed, halved,

Kosher salt

For Serving:

white rice

For the Kreung: Using a large granite mortar and pestle, combine lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and makrut lime leaves and grind to a smooth but slightly fibrous paste. These are the toughest, most fibrous ingredients in the paste, so it will take 5 to 10 minutes for the paste to form. Once the paste has formed, add shallot and garlic and pound again to smash them into the paste, another 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add basil to the mortar and pound until it is fully incorporated into the paste. 

For the Stir-Fry: In a wok, heat 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add roughly half of the kreung to the wok, stirring and scraping constantly with a wooden spatula to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. At first, the paste will snap and pop as it begins to release moisture. Continue stirring until all visible moisture has cooked off and the paste has thickened and darkened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high, then add half of the chicken to the wok, along with 1 piece of mudfish (if using) and cook, stirring, until chicken is coated in the kreung and has turned white on the surface, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in half of fish sauce, sugar, and bouillon and scrape browned bits from the bottom of the wok (some may still adhere). Stir in half the basil. Once basil has wilted, reduce heat to low and add half of jalapeño slices, cooking until warmed through but still crisp. Season with salt to taste.

Scrape contents of wok into a serving bowl and discard fermented fish. Rinse and dry wok, then repeat with remaining oil, kreung, chicken, and other ingredients.

Serve stir-fry right away, passing steamed white rice at the table.

Rediscover classic Cambodian cuisine with these fast and fresh vegetable spring rolls.

Cambodian-style vegetable spring rolls

vermicelli noodles

carrot,

firm tofu,

bean sprouts, ends trimmed

eschalot, finely chopped

garlic clove, finely chopped

Chinese cabbage (wombok) (see note)

tbsp grated palm sugar (see note)

soy sauce

tbsp fish sauce

lime juice

tbsp cornflour

x 25cm frozen spring roll wrappers, thawed (see note)

Sunflower oil, to deep-fry

garlic cloves, finely chopped

red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

tbsp toasted peanuts, finely chopped

Rediscover classic Cambodian cuisine with this fresh and lively marinated beef salad.

Kaffir lime and pepper marinated beef salad

beef sirloin steak,

lime juice (from about 4 limes)

kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced (see note)

(65 grams) grated palm sugar (see note)

lemongrass stem (inner core only), grated

red chilli, finely chopped (see note)

eschalots, thinly sliced

tbsp peanuts, roasted, chopped

sunflower oil

radishes,

(80 grams) bean sprouts, ends trimmed

mint, leaves picked

basil, leaves picked

(60 grams) shredded iceberg lettuce

This Cambodian Phnom Penh noodle soup recipe makes kuy teav Phnom Penh, named after Cambodia’s capital, where it’s one of the most popular breakfast soups. A more abundant version of the more restrained rice noodle soup found all over Cambodia, ‘Phnom Penh noodles’ as it’s known, has a pork-based broth and typically comes with minced pork, plump prawns (shrimps), romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, fresh coriander, and fried garlic and shallots. A squeeze of a few lime quarters, a squirt of chilli sauce and perhaps a sprinkle of chilli flakes completes this much-loved Cambodian breakfast noodle dish. There is a cousin of this soup in Vietnam’s Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City called Hu Tieu Nam Vang.

Phnom Penh Noodle Soup Recipe

litres pork stock

salt

tsp white pepper

tsp fish sauce

tsp sugar (optional

tbsp neutral cooking oil

pork ribs

pork

prawns (peeled, deveined, tail on)

rice noodles

Romaine lettuce leaves

Fish sauce (chilli sauce, chilli oil, chilli flakes)

Make the pork broth by bringing to boil 2 litres of pork stock (see section above recipe &quot;How to Make Pork Stock&quot;), then turn down to low, season with salt, white pepper and sugar (optional), then simmer.

While the pork broth is coming to a boil, prep your garnish: roughly chop the romaine lettuce leaves (although Cambodians will often pop whole leaves into a soup), blanche the bean sprouts, sliced the scallions/spring onions, pluck the fresh coriander (cilantro) and fresh basil leaves off the stems, slice the bird’s eye chillies, and quarter and de-seed the limes, and set aside.

In a small-medium fry pan on high heat, add a splash of neutral cooking oil and quickly fry the pork ribs with a pinch of salt and white pepper until just-cooked and they have colour, then set aside (do not over-cook them), then fry the pork mince with salt and white pepper until just-cooked and set aside.

Pop the prawns on a slotted spoon and dip them in the pork stock until they turn orange then immediately remove them and set them aside.

Using a stainless-steel spider, strainer or mesh basket with handle, dip the dried noodles into the pork broth (these should only take a couple of minutes to cook), then distribute the noodles evenly between the soup bowls.

Ladle the pork broth into the bowls then distribute the pork mince, pork ribs and prawns between the bowls; arrange the fresh garnishes and sprinkle some deep-fried garlic and deep-fried shallots onto the pork mince, and perhaps a splash of chilli oil and sprinkle of chilli flakes, and serve immediately.

Squeeze lime quarters into the bowl, and add splashes of fish sauce or chilli sauce, and sliced bird’s eye chillies, as you like.

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 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.

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The most viewed cambodian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine