Cambodian Curry: Traditional Khmer Cuisine

It can be said that every country has a curry that is modified to suit the taste of indigenous people, especially in Asian countries. And Cambodia is also one of them because the nation has two specialty curries, famous for their deliciousness, let's learn about Khmer curry with BestPrice Travel in this article!

About Cambodian Curry

For a long time, the Khmer curry of Cambodian people has been a specialty that everyone wants to enjoy. The sweet, fleshy, fatty taste and the attractiveness of the processed ingredients will make visitors fall in love once enjoying this.

Curry - Typical Cuisine Of Khmer people

With Thai curries often having the typical spicy taste of the land of the golden pagodas, Khmer curry in Cambodia takes coconut milk as the prominent flavor instead of chili powder like the Thai people. So Khmer red curry often has a highly fatty taste and is very delicious.

Cambodians use curry dishes on special occasions such as weddings, family gatherings, religious holidays, or ancestors' days - It is an opportunity for people to make dishes to offer to the monks on behalf of the deceased.

Curry is an exceptional specialty that will always leave a deep impression in visitors' hearts when they enjoy it on the occasion of tasting Cambodia food.

 

Types of Khmer Curry

Yellow Kroeung

Yellow Kroeung is often used as a sauce for street snacks, such as charcoal-grilled beef skewers and in Prahok K'tis.

Its main ingredients are made of turmeric and lemongrass, so when you enjoy dishes with Yellow Kroeung ingredients, you will see the characteristic lemongrass smell and beautiful yellow color from turmeric.

Yellow Kroeung

Ingredients

• 200 g lemongrass (stalks peeled, chopped, and outer layers discarded)
• 1 tbsp galangal (peeled and chopped finely)
• 1 tsp kaffir lime zest
• 1 tsp turmeric (peeled and chopped finely)
• 5 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped finely)
• 2 shallots (peeled and chopped finely)

Instruction

 

Red Kroeung

For a long time, Red Kroeung of Cambodian people has been a specialty everyone wants to enjoy. Its sweet, fleshy, fatty, and attractive taste will make you love this dish.

Red Kroeung

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp lemongrass stalks
• 1 tbsp galangal
• 1 tsp kaffir lime zest
• 4 pieces dried medium red chilies
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 10 cloves garlic
• 5 pieces shallots
• 1 tsp shrimp paste

Instruction

 

Green Kroeung

The usual ingredients for green kroeung are lemongrass, so dishes prepared with green kroeung will have a distinctive lemongrass smell. And, of course, this paste will have a dominant blue color.

Green Kroeung

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil
• 2 to 3 jalapeños, roughly chopped, seeds removed for less heat
• 4 to 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom 4 inches roughly chopped
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece galangal (or ginger), peeled and sliced
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk

Instruction

 

What to Try

Here are some typical dishes made from Khmer curries that you may not have known:

Curry Is Used In Many Cambodian Cuisines

• Sach Ko Ang: Also known as Cambodian beef skewers, is one of the most famous street foods in this country. It has the characteristic yellow color of Yellow kroeung, and they are often eaten with pickled vegetables and are a classic late afternoon or early evening snack in Cambodia.
• Samla Num Banh Chok: When coming to Phnom Penh city, you will find it easy to see the sales of Num Banh Chok vendors all over the streets. This is a popular noodle dish with an attractive green curry-scented broth, crispy cowpeas and lotus roots, and the spiciness of chili peppers.
• Somlar Kari Saek Mouan: Also known as Cambodian Chicken Red Curry, is a flavorful curry made with coconut milk, eggplant, chicken, potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, and red kroeung. This dish tastes like Thai red curry but is less spicy.

 

Cambodian people use curries to prepare their daily dishes. Therefore, Khmer curry soon became familiar in the lives of the people of this country. Hope the above information will be helpful to you. Wish you can successfully cook Khmer kroeung dishes according to the recipe we mentioned above!

Thanh Dat

(Image source: Internet)