Does anybody else feels that this week went by fast? Probably because of Labor Day Holiday on Monday. My siblings came to visit and spend the night during the holiday. With them my Mother also sent me a big pot of my favorite Cambodian herb the holy basil (Maress Prov). I love that stuff! 
In addition, I also got some more Lemongrass Paste (Kroeung) which I am now offering for sale. 
Now that I have all my ingredients in place it’s time for me to share with you how I make one of my most favorite Cambodian dish which is this Fiery Stir Fry Lemongrass Quail (Cha Kdov (Kroeung) Krouch) ឆារគ្រឿង(ក្តៅ)ក្រួច. It is soooo delicious! These quails were finely chopped (grounded) into very small pieces bone and all. You can substitute with ground chicken but make sure to cook until the liquid evaporate to avoid a soggy stir fry. If you can get holy basil, I definitely recommend it otherwise use Thai basil instead.
My recipe is for 4-5 servings as I plan to enjoy it several times. Yeah, it’s that good that I don’t mind having leftovers another 2-3 times. Oh and for drinkers, it’s great with alcohol drinks.
Fiery Stir-Fried Lemongrass Quail
(Cha Kdov (Kroeung) Krouch) ឆារគ្រឿង(ក្តៅ)ក្រួច
Ingredients
6 quails, finely chopped (ground)
½ cup lemongrass paste (now available for sale)
10 jalapeños, sliced lengthwise (adjust amount to taste)
1 tablespoon finely chopped Pahok (optional)
1 bunch of holy basil leaves
1 tablespoon tamarind soup base
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Method:
Heat a pan and fry the lemongrass and pahok (if using) until fragrant. Add (ground) chopped quails and continue to stir fry until they are cook. It will be dry but that’s okay.
Next add jalapeños and season with tamarind soup base, sugar and fish sauce. Quickly stir to combine the ingredients. Taste and adjust to your preference. Turn the heat off and add holy basil leaves. Give it a final stir and transfer to a serving dish. Serve with hot steamy rice.
My Gf and I went to Stockton to eat at Mitapheap restaurant because we were craving for some home-cooked Khmer food. When we got there, it was late and only had an hour to eat, so we quickly hurried through the menu. One of the dish we happened to order was this one but on the menu it was known as Stir-fried Quail with lemon grass. We both didn’t know that it was ground Quail with bone and all. The menu didn’t give a description, but I thought being a Khmer restaurant they would think other Khmer would know, but we didn’t. We ordered Somlar Kho Kho as well and both were great, just like how mum made it back home in Boston. Also, I enjoyed your site, I come by often to drool over your recipes. Do you do request?
From what I have remember Cha Kroeung Quail is usually done with ground up quail bone and all. The quails are pretty small and their bones are not as tough as chicken bones. Some people use stew chicken “mon svett” to make this dish as well.
If you have a dish/recipe you would like to request please submit them in the “Recipe Page”.
I received the lemongrass paste from Khatiya today. Oh man, the Fiery Stir Fry Lemongrass Quail is superb. I put a little extra Holy Basil (spicy basil- I have plenty of this stuff in my backyard.) and pickle bamboo shoot. Little extra jalapenos are a must too. The tastes and the flavor are out of this world. It is probably the first time I got this Khmer stir fry dish right after a gazillion trials. I will try the lemongrass paste with some other recipes this weekend.
The lemongrass is very fresh and very well blended and very well done!
Cole,
I’m so glad to hear that you are satisfied with your purchase of my Mother’s lemongrass paste. I did pass the compliments to her and she is happy as well. Moreover, I’m thrilled to know that you tried my recipe and it worked out for you. This is definitely one of the recipe I highly recommend others to try and like you have just done, there just so many variations. That’s the joy of cooking your own dishes is that you can adjust everything and anything to suit your taste buds.