I played with this marinade about two weeks ago, first trying it on some beef strips that was on sale. I loved it so much that when I made my Stuffed Chicken Wing recently for a family gathering I used it as the marinade for the outside. I loved it even more and decide to make it again and share with you my recipe.

I think it was a combination of simple ingredients I had on hand and the minimal cooking involve that contributes to my rave or this marinade. The roasted chili infused in the oil that comes in a jar gives it that smokey fragrant when cooked. The jar I used was a Chinese brand which I did not find it spicy at all. I am not saying this because I am a chili freak but I had kids eating the Stuffed Chicken Wing which used this marinade without any problems. The oyster sauce along with the sugar gives it that gooey sticky coating. Soy sauce (Golden Mountain Brand) and some salt was used to help balance the flavor. Add in some black pepper and you got yourself a quick and easy marinade that can be used on beef, chicken or pork oh and turkey too! I’m sure everybody have their preference so do adjust amount to your liking.

Easy Asian Marinade Chicken (makes 15 large drumletes)
(Kroeung Prolak Sach Ngeay Sroul) គ្រឿងប្រលាក់សាច់ងាយស្រួល

Ingredients
2½ – 3 lbs chicken (wings, thighs, drumstick , etc)
1 tablespoon chili oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
¼ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon black pepper

Method
Rinse the chicken, pat dry and set it aside. Meanwhile make the marinade by combining all the other ingredients and mixing it well.

In a bowl, container or a zip lock bag add the chicken along with the marinade. Give it a massage and allow it to marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours but it’s best to do it overnight for the flavors to fully develop.

Bring it out from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling. This is to remove some of the chill and help it cook better. Depending on the cut of meat cooking time will vary.

These would be delicious with simple steamed rice or a salad such as green mango salad or  papaya salad. ENJOY!

Cambodian Ratatouille known in Khmer as សម្លកកូរ, (Somlaw Koko) is a simple-basic hearty stew which uses assorted vegetables and strong flavorings from pickle fish or fermented fish (prohok), Khmer Kroeung and ground toasted rice. It’s also consider Cambodia’s National Dish.

Over the years, many different versions of Somlaw Koko has been created. Some added coconut milk to this stew. Growing up, my Mother never used coconut milk to make Somlaw Koko. Personally, I think the flavor is too rich and if you were to substitute the ground toasted rice with tamarind soup base, it would turn into Cambodian Sour Soup with Coconut Milk with assorted vegetables or similar to Cambodian Curry. I will leave it up to you, the Chef, to decide what works best for your taste bud.

The vegetables I used here came in a convenience package all mixed together. If you don’t have all or any of these listed you can surely use what’s in season or available in your area. Depending on the type of vegetables use you might want to separate them and add them in the order it takes to cook. My group contains pumpkin which probably might need to be added first, however at this quantity I did not bother dividing them and I did not mind a bit of crunch to my pumpkin either, again a personal preference.

Video Tutorial:

Cambodian Ratatouille (makes 5 servings)
(Somlaw Koko) សម្ល​​​កកូរ

Ingredients
1 teaspoon oil
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon ground pickle fish (prahok)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground toasted rice
4 tablespoons lemongrass paste (Khmer Kroeung)
1 lb your choice of meat (chicken, pork, or fish) cut into bite size pieces (I used pork ribs)
2 lbs assorted vegetables (pumpkin, shredded papaya, green beans, aubergine, Thai eggplants, fuzzy squash)
8 whole bird’s eye chilies (optional)
3 cups water

Method:
Heat oil in a pot and add palm sugar. Stir quickly until partly dissolve. Becareful not to burn the sugar. Remove the pot or adjust the heat if necessary.

Add in pickle fish (prohok) and stir these two ingredients together until fragrant.

Next add the meat. Stir fry until the meat is coated and slightly brown.

Add lemongrass paste and stir to combine followed by fish sauce and some salt.

Carefully slide in the assorted vegetables.  Add in the chilies too if using them.

Scatter the ground toasted rice all over the vegetables.  Mix it in slightly, and finally add the water.

Cover and allow the soup to return to a rapid boil.  The meat on the bottom is now fully cooked.  Give it a stir so the vegetables have a chance to cook and soak up all the flavors.  It’s a good time to taste and adjust accordingly.  Cover the lid again and continue to cook just a few more minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with steam rice. ENJOY!

Simple yet delicious appetizer that I came up when the FIFA Worldcup 2010 finals was approaching.  All the social network mentioned about it, and people were ready to cheer on their team.  Some had plans to go hang out with friends and family where food and drink was involve. I did not have any plans instead I thought about putting something together to enjoy while watching the game at home.

Fried Mussel with Spicy Tamarind Sauce, គ្រុមចំពុះទាបំពងនិងទឹកអំពឹលទុំ, Krum Jompook Tear Nung Tirk Ompil Thum was what I came up with. I really enjoy using the Panko bread crumbs for it’s light, airy and crunchy texture. I’ve used it several times like in my Crispy Garlic Pork and Panko Crusted Fish with Lemongrass Chili Sauce and was really satisfied with the results.

Because you can prep everything and make the sauce in advance, this makes it quick and easy to whip up. Try this at your next gathering.

Fried Mussel with Spicy Tamarind Sauce (makes 12 mussels)
(Krum Jompook Tear Nung Tirk Ompil Thum), គ្រុមចំពុះទាបំពងនិងទឹកអំពឹលទុំ, 

Ingredients
12 Green Shell mussels
½ cup Japanese style Panko Bread crumbs
1/3 cup rice flour
1 egg
salt
fresh ground pepper
3 bowls/plates or containers
Spicy Tamarind Sauce

Method:
Defrost mussel if frozen. Remove mussel from shell. Thoroughly rinse both shell and meat separately. Drain and set aside separately.

In container #1 mix rice flour with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In container #2 crack an egg and use a fork to lightly whisk.

In container #3 add panko bread crumbs.

Make a station with 3 separate large plates one for flour, egg and panko bread crumbs. Use one hand (the dry hand) to dust the flour on lightly then move to the next station and drench the mussel with your other hand (wet hand). On the 3rd station return your dry hand and coat with panko bread crumbs. Press them in lightly so they stick to the mussel. Repeat this process until all mussels are done, set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan and once they are hot add the mussel and fry them. Watch carefully as the bread crumbs tend to brown pretty quick. Adjust heat accordingly. You can start with med-high heat and then crank it up toward the end to get a nice golden brown crust. Cook until all sides turn golden brown and allow to rest on paper towel to remove excess oil, which should not be much.

To serve, lay the fried mussel back into it’s shell and serve with the Spicy Tamarind Sauce. ENJOY!

Cambodian Pumpkin Custard is pumpkin that can either be steamed or baked with a coconut milk and egg filling. This is a traditional dessert in both Cambodia (ល្ពៅសង្ខ្យា, Lapov Songkya) and Thailand (สังขยาฟักทอง, Sankaya Fuk Tong). This recipe can also be made with butternut or acorn squash, although the quantity of custard and cooking times may have to be adjusted.

This is the second pumpkin used from the three that was given to me by my Mother a couple months back.  The first one went into making a delicious Cambodian Hot Pork and Pumpkin Curry. These pumpkin really do keep for a long time!

The look and the steps detailed here might give one the impression of excess work and long cooking hours, actually it’s the opposite. I try to be as thorough as possible when I explain the steps so my readers can get a better direction. I hope you enjoy my recipe and drool over the images but most important I hope I motivate you to try this delicious sweet, fragrant and sheer indulgence Cambodian Pumpkin Custard.

Cambodian Pumpkin Custard (makes 8-9 servings)
(Lapov Songkya) ល្ពៅសង្ខ្យា

Ingredients
1 small pumpkin, about 1 lb.
5 eggs
¾ cup palm sugar, more or less depending on your taste
1 cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Method:
Prepping the pumpkin:

First carve out the top of the pumpkin in the shape you like. Some like squares, others like zig-zag circle however I prefer the simple circle. Tip: to make a nice well-rounded circle use a small bowl and flip it upside down. Trace the circle all around.

Next, use a sharp pointed knife and cut along the traced line. Use ¼-½ inch stroke so that you keep it within the traced line. Go through one round and repeat to make sure that the knife can move through freely without any resistance.

Prop the top. Use the side of a stainless steel spoon to scrape and discard the fibrous and seeds. Rinse and use paper towel to absorb any excess water remaining.

Making the custard filling:

In a large bowl add the eggs, palm sugar, coconut milk, salt and vanilla extract if using. Using a whisk mix all these ingredients well.

Add the filling into the hollowed out pumpkin. Tip: use a strainer to catch any clumps and lumps left behind from the eggs and palm sugar.

Steaming the pumpkin custard:

Add the custard into a steaming pot with the lid on the sides if you have room, or in a separate layer. Left over custard can also be steamed in heat proof dishes. These make delicious spreads on bread or topped over sticky rice.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin and the steaming pot. To check for done-ness, insert a toothpick or bamboo skewer in the middle of the custard and if it comes out clean, then it should be cook. Also, do check the pumpkin flesh making sure they are soft but not mushy. This 1 lb pumpkin took about 35 minutes to cook.

Once cook, remove and allow to cool completely. This is crucial because the filling will jiggle when it is warm. Like hot off the grill steaks if you try to cut it through the custard might break apart easily so be patience and allow it to set prior to serving.  Left over can be kept refrigerated. ENJOY!

There are several version of stir fry lemongrass out there such as the Vietnamese and the Thai. Each region has their own uniqueness and distinctive flavor. This can also be said for my Cambodian Style Stir Fry Lemongrass, ឆាគ្រឿងសាច់ចិញ្រ្ចាំ (Cha Kroeung Sach Jengjram). While some can just chop up stalks of lemongrass then throw it into the stir fry and call it Stir Fry Lemongrass, Cambodian style is rather a bit more complex.  As long as I can recall Cambodian Stir Fry Lemongrass use what we call “Kroeung” which is a made with a combination of aromatics.

I’ve mentioned it many times that this had got to be one of my top 3 Cambodian dishes. The spicier the better! In the past I’ve made this stir fry using finely chopped quails in my Fiery Stir-Fried Lemongrass Quail. This time around, using the same recipe I’ve decided to go with store bought ground pork and made a tutorial to show how quick and easy it is to whip up this delicious Cambodian dish.  In addition, because it’s winter fresh holy basil are nearly impossible to get my hands on therefore I have opt frozen holy basil which I had preserve from the fresh one during the summer. See my steps on how to preserve holy basil leaves for later use.

Video Tutorial:

Cambodian Style Stir Fry Lemongrass (makes 2-3 servings)
(Cha Kroeung Sach Jengjram) ឆាគ្រឿងសាច់ចិញ្រ្ចាំ

Ingredients
oil for stir frying
½ cup lemongrass paste, Khmer Kroeung
½ tablespoon finely chopped Pahok (optional)
1 lb ground meat of your choice (chicken, pork, turkey, quail)
jalapeños, sliced lengthwise (adjust amount to taste)
2 teaspoon sugar
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
½ tablespoon tamarind soup base
½ cup of holy basil leaves

Method:
Heat a pan and fry the lemongrass and pahok (if using) until fragrant. Add  your choice of ground meat and continue to stir fry until they are cook. It will be dry but that’s okay.

Next add jalapeños and the remainder ingredients. 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.

How to Preserve Holy Basil Leaves
You will need holy basil leaves and oil.

Pick out the leaves and tender stems. Flash rinse them quickly and thoroughly dry them. If you have a salad spinner, this would be an excellent way to dry them.

Once they are fully dry, heat a pan to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the pan and toss in the holy basil leaves.

Flash fry the leaves by quickly tossing them around so the leaves are coated with the oil. The heat and the oil will cause the leaves to wilt a bit, this is perfectly fine. Since the leaves are light and tender it should not take very long, less than a minute. If you have a large amount to preserve, I suggest you flash fry them in batches to prevent over crowding.

Next transfer it onto a platter and allow to cool.  Once cool you can bag them up in small batches (servings) and store it in the freezer.

When it is time to use, you can defrost it slightly and add to recipes that calls for holy basil.