Khmer Bistro

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"At the bottom of the modern man there is always a great thirst for self-forgetfulness, self-distraction ... and therefore he turns away from all those problems and abysses which might recall to him his own nothingness." (

Kampuchea Time



Somlor Machu Kreung Ktih Sach Chrook

Somlor Machu Kreung Ktih Sach Chrook - Flavorful Cambodian pork rib and beef tendon braised coconut with water spinach, lemon grass paste and ripe tamarind. A combination of nutty and tangy taste.

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Ingredients:
Khmer water spinach  (trokuon)
pork ribs, cut in pieces 
ripe tamarind or tamarind powder
Chicken flavored broth or chicken broth cube
fish sauce
salt
cooking oil
coconut milk
prohok (fermented fish)
Mreas Prov (holy basil)
beef tendon (optional)
Lemon grass paste - Kreung

Cambodian_spice paste ripetamarind_thumb10 Cambodianwaterspinach_thumb10
Making Kreung: (Lemon grass paste)
1) Remove seeds from dried chili and soak in water until soft.  Squeeze the water out. Then mince it.

2) Thinly cut lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galanga, tumeric root, garlic and  fresh shallots

*Pound  # 1 & 2 well together  in a (Cambodian) mortar or grind them in the blender.

**Extract tamarind: Put water and ripe tamarind together and bring to first boil. Smash it with a ladle or spoon to release the sourness. Then drain and keep it for later use. Separate trokuon leaves from the stalk. Then wash well. Drain it and keep it for later use.

Preparation:

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Somlor Somlok

Somlor Somlok - Cambodian mixed vegetable soup with fish, mushrooms, dried shrimps, Khmer squash, green bean, bamboo, taro, chee prohaer (Khmer herb), fresh chili , slek nguob (mountain vegetable), chili leaves combining ingredients with native flavor such as rhizome, lemon grass, prahok, garlic which is the outstanding flavor of somlor somlok.  Very tasty and hearty soup full of  vitamin. It is served with steam rice and along with Trey Ngeat (sun dried fish).

Somlor somlok  is  similar to somlor prohaer both have the same base ingredients and vegetables.  And the same cooking process, the only different is, with somlor prohaer, the fish is pounded into small pieces and tumeric root is often added where somlor somlok, the fish cut into chunk. The best part of somlor somlok is the joy of tasting varieties of vegetable, there are AT LEAST 9  different kinds and more.

 Khmer soup_somlor somlok
 
Preparation:

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A) *Soak dried shrimps in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Then wash it very well and discard the soil. Pat dry.
-In a mortar - pound dried shrimps and garlic, rhizome together.

-In a bowl - extract prahok. And save for later use.

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B) Cut fish (catfish) into chunk.
Wash and pat dry. Lightly fry
them. Set it aside for later use.
(hard vegetables)
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C) Cut green bean, taro,  and
Khmer squash.Wash well and drain them.

* Bamboo shoot must be
boiled once and wash a few
times to get rid of the smell.

Somlor Somlok

Somlor Somlok - Cambodian mixed vegetable soup with catfish and mushroom. Recipe will be available soon.
Khmer soup_somlor somluok

Sngou Muoan NamNgau

Request from Bosba (”Satrey Khmer, do you have a recipe for sngou namgau sach moan? Is it ok if you show me how to make it? My mother made it last it
was so good. I want to get this recipe from you. Thank you.”)
-Yes Ms.Bosba, SKO has your request.

Sngou Muoan NamNgau- Cambodian chicken soup with homemade preserved lime.  It’s national and one of favorite preserved dish eaten by Cambodian ( in midland, Kampuchea Krom, Isaan-former Khmer territory).
  Cambodian_chicken soup with preserved lime
Ingredients:
chicken cut in chunk Cambodian soup base ingredient     
2 1/2 tsp oil
6 cups water
1 chicken breast
1 preserved lime, cut in half
1 garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 sugar
1/2  yellow or white onion (medium size), sliced
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 stalk green onion, chopped (diagonally- optional)
8 sprigs coriander, washed
3 tiny rings chili (see photo)

Method:

garlic onion in pot
1) Heat the pot and add oil. Saute garlic until golden, then add onion. Cook onion until  soft.
sauted onion and garlic
Save it aside on the plate.
chicken lemon garlic onion
2) In the same pot, add water and preserved lime, cover it and bring to boil over medium high heat.
-Then add chicken and sauteed garlic/onion bring to boil until chicken is tender.

*Break  one of the halves preserved lime to release the the aroma and flavor.

done
3) Season with salt, sugar, fish sauce, and chicken bouillon. Stir well. Remove the white bubble.

-Turn off heat. Sprinkle with green onion and coriander.

Delicious Somlor Kako

Some of you are required to take vitamin daily. Have you ever considered tossing away your vitamin tablets and start eating naturally?  This soup has more than what you need. A bowl full of vitamin! Somlor Kako is authentic Cambodian dish made from vegetables that are high in vitamin and minerals. It is tremendously nutritious. Also good source of protein from meat and fish. A twist of native freshly homemade spice gives the best aroma. This whole hearty soup is a real treat for vegetable lovers. Serve with steam rice! See recipe below. Somlor Kako requires a lot time to make, so many processes but the result is very rewarding.

Cambodiansoup 
Ingredients: click on the image to see the ingredients. The process is in alphabetical order. Happy cooking!

A
Cambodian`herb`spcie
B
meat
C
Veg4Cambodiansoup
D
 slicePlantain
E
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F
watercrest
G
khmerchilli-thumb
 

 Making Somlor Kako:

1) Heat oil in cooking pot,
Put A in the pot, stir for 5 minutes until the herb/spice turn brown and the  fragrant comes out, push it to the side. Then add B, stir until the meat turn brown. Add 1tsp of salt, sugar and roasted rice.
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2) Add fish, pour some water, then cover and bring to boil.

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Somlor Pro`haer

Somlor Pro`haer: Cambodian vegetable and fish soup with a touch of rhizome, lemon grass and prohok base. Pumpkin, Khmer squash, fern-like vegetable, bamboo, fish, taro and chicken broth. This soup is rich in vitamin A, B, C, E and DHA from fish. Serve with steam rice.
CambodiansoupCambodian~soup

swansonchickenbroth
1) Tirk suup monn
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2) Tirk, tirk suup monn, kthem sor, slek krei, kcheay, prohok, skor,lmiet, msao suup monn.
soupIngredient
3) Trei, trolach, lpoeu, trav, tro`piang, sa`om, kcheay, ktem sor, slek krey, prohok, ombel, chee proher.

Vithi tver:

-Trei ros (you can use tilapia or catfish, snapper if you’re in the US). Yoak trei sohk sro`kah,  leang tirk heuy  katt kong kong.
*Bonlae: Lpeou, throlach, thrav, chet doum toch toch lmom
-sa`om bess slek heuy leang tirk
-tro`paing hann prothess sderng sderng
-Chee proher bess yoak slek heuy threm thirk

*Kreung Bok: Ombel, Kcheay, kthem sor,lmiet  bouk jea muy kneah ouy mott

*Damm tirk ouy pouh heuy nhee slek krey dak chol chnang, chak tirk suup monn kompung chol, bung kreung bok, bung prohok, bung trei
-sngor ouy puoh bontich therb bung bonlae krub mok,  dak  skor, ombel, msao suup monn
-plouk merl tham thier chol chet

-pale cha`en,  bett plerng dak chee proher chea thi bonjub