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.

I invite you to try my version of egg rolls, នែមចៀន (Naem Jean) or also known as spring rolls. I think the naming will depend on where you are located. I’ve actually heard of “summer rolls” in Eastern parts of the USA however those are mostly refer to the fresh ones which in California are called “spring rolls”.  Basically what I am showing here is how to make a delicious crunchy, crispy “FRIED” rolls.

Enjoy egg rolls with your favorite dip such as the sweet chili sauce or with fish sauce. You can even create a bowl of Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad by cutting up these egg rolls and adding fresh chopped lettuce, sliced cucumbers, rice noodles and some pickled carrots & daikon.

I’ve choose to cook the filling first and allowed it to drain and cool. Using this technique has a couple of benefits. A cool filling prevents soggy egg rolls. Egg rolls can sometime fry up too quickly and you might notice that the shell will brown and sometime burns before the meat inside is cook. For this reason, if the filling is fully cook then that is one less thing to worry especially when you are serving to large crowds.  You do not what any guest to complain about under-cook meat, a big NO NO.

For the curious mind, here is an excerpt about egg rolls. “An egg roll is an appetizer and dinner, a variant of spring roll, which was originally eaten in East Asia but has spread throughout the world as a staple of Asian cuisine. Many Asian countries are claimed to have originated the dish, and variants of the egg roll exist in multiple Asian cuisines.”

Video Tutorial:

Egg Rolls | Spring Rolls (makes 25 egg rolls)
(Naem Jean) នែមចៀន

Ingredients
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped green onion
1 bunch mung bean thread, soak and cut into 1-inch
½ cup shredded fungus, soak
1 egg white, use for sealing
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup full ground pork
1 tablespoon oil for frying

Seasoning
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon (or less), black pepper
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups oil for deep frying
1 pkg egg roll wrapper (25 sheets)

Method:
Making the Filling
Get your pan nice and hot then add the oil. Once the oil is hot toss in the garlic. Fry until golden brown.

Next add the ground pork. Spread and break it up as you fry. Continue to stir fry until the meat is about 80% cooked. Add ½ of the seasoning into the pork mix. Continue to stir fry 1-2 mins or until most of the sauce has evaporate.

Add shredded fungus, shredded carrots, and the shredded cabbage follow by the rest of the seasoning and continue to mix it all together. About 1 minute later, turn off the heat and add in the chopped green onions.
Give it a final stir to incorporate all the ingredients and flavors.

Use a colander with a bowl under and transfer the filling mixture. This will allow the filling to cool as well as drain any liquid to prevent a soggy egg roll. Add and mix in the mung bean noodles.

Rolling & Wrapping the Egg Rolls
Gently peel a couple of egg roll wrappers. Set aside and use a damp paper towel/cloth to cover so the sheets don’t dry out.

Lay one sheet flat with one corner pointing towards you. Add some fillings about 1 inch away from the corner and spread it around. Roll it in (outward), roll it once then bring the left and right sides to the center.
Seal the end with a wash off egg white.

Repeat this step until you have used up all your wrappers and filling. Makes 25 egg rolls.

How to Freeze Egg Rolls
Lay egg rolls in a single layer. Cover with plastic or parchment paper to prevent sticking then add the next layer. Once they are frozen you can transfer them to resealable bags. There is no need to defrost them. Deep fry them while they are frozen.

Let’s fry some up!
Heat enough oil in your frying pot/pan.  Add the egg rolls carefully one at a time turning occasionally until golden brown. Once done, place on wire rack to drain and cool. This will keep them crispy.

Serve it up with your favorite dip. ENJOY!

About a month ago my Mother gave me three pumpkins. I did not have a menu plan but I do know that these things can be kept for a very very long time so I did not resist in bringing all three of them home. The first recipe that came to mind is Cambodian Pumpkin Pudding in Banana Leaves (Num La’pov). I did not feel like making desserts out of them yet since I usually end up eating them all by myself which isn’t a very good idea therefore I opted for a savory dish like this Cambodian Hot Pork and Pumpkin Curry, ការីល្ពៅសាច់ជ្រូក (Kari La’pov Sach Jrook) .

The recipe was adapted from a cookbook in my collection entitled The Food & Cooking of Cambodia which I recently repurchase because I misplace my first copy.  Actually this wasn’t the first time I’ve made a curry using pumpkins I usually do just a simple and quick version by using store-bought Thai red curry paste. This Cambodian version use Khmer Kroeung as the base which gives it a distinctive Cambodian taste. As always with curries you can serve it with either steamed rice, crusty bread or rice noodles.

Cambodian Hot Pork and Pumpkin Curry (makes 3-4 serving)
(Kari La’pov Sach Jrook) ការីល្ពៅសាច់ជ្រូក

Ingredients
½ tablespoon oil
1 slice galanga, finely sliced
5 red chillies, finely sliced (reduce amount for a milder curry)
½ small sweet onion or 2 shallots, finely sliced
2 tablespoons Khmer Kroeung
½ tablespoon palm sugar
1 lb pork, cut into bite size chunks
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 kabocha pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size chunks
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, reserve 1-2 leaves and slivered for garnish
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Method:
Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Stir in galanga, chillies, and onions and stir-fry until fragrant. Add Khmer Kroeung and stir-fry until it begins to color. Add palm sugar.

Stir in the chunks of pork and stir-fry until golden brown on all sides. Stir in shrimp paste and pour in coconut milk.

Bring to the boil, add the pumpkin and kaffir lime leaves, and reduce the heat. Cook gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin and pork are tender but not mushy and the sauce has reduced. If you prefer a thinner curry then feel free to add water or stock.

Add fish sauce and season to taste. Garnish the curry with slivered kaffir lime leaves.

This curry can be serve with rice, noodles or crusty bread. ENJOY!

In my attempt to try and create a Cambodian version of Popcorn Chicken I decided to use Khmer Kroeung which is the base flavor for many well-known Khmer dishes such as the Cambodian Spicy & Sour Soup and Fiery Stir-Fried Lemongrass Quail, just to name a few.  I will therefore name it Cambodian Popcorn Chicken, ម៉ាន់គ្រឿងបំពង (Mon Kroeung Bomporng). I am extremely happy with the outcome. It was delicious and there was that hint of Khmer Kroeung in every single bite. The only thing I sort of regret is not having fresh holy basil leaves so I opt for Thai basil leaves instead.

One of the greatest things I love about living in the Bay Area beside the weather is the availability of the different ethnic food. Seems like everything is within proximity. You don’t have to drive too far or fly out of state. If you visited California recently especially around the Bay Area or Southern California you might of seen a bunch of small Asian Fusion Style Chain Cafe such as Quickly and Tapioca Express. Although there drink selection is overwhelming I can’t seem to resist ordering is their Popcorn Chicken or otherwise known as Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken or just plain Salt & Pepper Chicken. It is not the same as the Popcorn Chicken you get from KFC or American restaurants. The one you get from Quickly or Tapioca Express is flavored with Asian spices such as star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel. These spices together make what is known as Five-Spice Powder. This was my inspiration for creating this delicious Cambodian Popcorn Chicken.

I also made a red pepper salt mixture as a sprinkle because I just love the spicy flavor in savory dishes. This is of course optional. This spicy flavored salt can also be sprinkle on fried eggs, omelets, chickens and many more items that calls for a splash of the usual salt and pepper.

Cambodian Popcorn Chicken (makes 1-2 serving depends if serving as a snack or with rice)
(Mon Kroeung Bomporng) ម៉ាន់គ្រឿងបំពង

Ingredients
¾ lb chicken (breast or thigh meat) cut into bite size pieces – for this recipe I used a whole large chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine, used as a tenderizer
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Khmer Kroeung
½ cup sweet potato flour or also label as potato starch
holy basil leaves or Thai basil leaves as garnish
oil for deep frying

Spicy Flavored Salt Mixture
1½ tablespoons red pepper powder
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
½ teaspoon salt

Method:
To make the spicy flavored salt mixture combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. You can definitely adjust the amount to taste. Set aside for later use.

Marinade the chicken pieces with garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar and Khmer Kroeung. Mix well, cover and marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight for best flavor. Try to bring it to room temperature prior to proceeding with the next step.

In a heavy pan/pot heat oil over medium heat. While waiting for the oil to heat up sprinkle sweet potato all over marinaded chicken pieces. Use more if necessary. There will be clumps therefore I just use a strainer to shake off the clumps so that it doesn’t end up in the frying pan as it is rather difficult to fish out small pieces of burnt flour in hot oil.

When the oil is hot and ready, deep fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. Depending on the type of meat (white/dark) in addition to the cut sizes it can take anywhere from 3-4 minutes to fry.

Test a piece and once it is cook use a medal strainer or slotted spoon to transfer them to paper towels or paper bags to remove excess oil.

Next toss in the basil leaves in the hot oil. Be extremely careful because this cause a loud popping sound and sometime oil splashes if the leaves are not thoroughly dried. Protect yourself with a splatter guard or quickly toss it and step far away until the sizzling sound decreases. It should only take 20-25 seconds to fry the basil leaves.

You can transfer the chicken to a serving plate or serve it in paper bags garnish with fried basil leaves. Sprinkle with spicy flavored salt if you prefer.

This delicious dish can be served as a snack or eaten as a meal with steamed rice. ENJOY!