Khmer Seafood: Traditional Cuisine Of Cambodia

Cambodia is a country famous for its rich culture and cuisine, and Khmer seafood is also one of its prominent elements. With a coastal location and access to the Gulf of Thailand, visitors to Cambodia will have the opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood and be processed into various dishes. Whether you are a seafood lover or want to try a new seafood dish, you should not miss the Khmer seafood dishes we introduce below!

Overview Of Khmer Seafood

When you visit Cambodia and explore the cuisine here, you will find seafood dishes are extremely popular in Khmer cuisine, especially in soups, hotpots, and stir-fries. In addition, Khmer people often process seafood such as shrimp, squid, crab, and pangasius.

With its geographical location in the region of the Mekong River and the sea, the Khmer people have abundant seafood resources and take advantage of them. Since then, they have been looking for ways to use seafood optimally.

Khmer seafood usually has a solid and rich taste, combining delicious taste and high nutritional value.

You can always see the creativity in the dining culture in the seafood they prepare. So let's find out right here! 

 

6 Popular Khmer Seafood Dishes in Cambodia

1/ Chien Chuon

Chien Chuon is a dish made of deep-fried fish with sautéed ginger and garlic sauce of the Khmer. This is an extremely popular dish in Cambodian cuisine and is one of the familiar Khmer seafood dishes of people in the region.

Chien Chuon

Ingredients

• 2 cups julienne ginger (cut into fine strips)
• 1 lb fish
• 2 tablespoons tempura flour
• 1-2 cups oil for frying
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bottle (850g) salted/fermented soy beans
• ¼- ½ tablespoon sugar (if the soybeans are very salty)
• ½ cup water
• 2-3 spring onions

Directions

1. Fry the ginger until golden and crispy, then set aside;
2. Prep the fish and cut it into strips, then roll in a layer of tempura bột
3. Fry the fish until crispy and golden brown
4. Crush garlic and chop scallions
5. Drain the soybeans using a colander
6. Fry the garlic until it turns slightly yellow, then add the soybeans and stir-fry. Then add water and fry for one minute;
7. Before serving, stir the fried ginger, scallions, and crispy fish. Eat with white rice.

 

2/ Amok Trey

Amok Trey is a popular dish in Khmer cuisine. It is straightforward to make and full of nutrition. This dish has a strong and attractive taste, the perfect combination of the sweetness of coconut water and the spicy taste of ginger and spices. It is also one of the typical dishes of Cambodian dining culture and can be found in many restaurants and eateries throughout the country.

Amok Trey

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of galangal
• 10 cm of the stalk
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 3 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves
• 6 leaves of kaffir lime thinly sliced
• 3 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced (use only the bottom)
• 350g snakehead fish fillet
• 200ml coconut milk
• 2 tsp of chili pepper
• 1 tbsp of shrimp paste
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ of a cayenne pepper seed, removed and thinly sliced for garnishing
• 8 in. leaves of Chinese cabbage
• 4 tbsp of shallots
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of oil

Directions

1. Puree kaffir leaves, lemongrass, galangal, lemon, garlic, turmeric and salt to make kroeung.
2. Mix fish with kroeung and other ingredients, except noni leaves.
3. Season to taste
4. Make a basket of ramikens out of your coconut shells or banana leaves.
5. Pour curry mixture into each basket, then use a flat spoon. Then, drizzle a tablespoon of coconut milk on top and sprinkle some finely chopped kaffir lime leaves.
6. Garnish with remaining slices of kaffir lime leaves and finely chopped red pepper or red pepper if you don't like chili.
7. Serve

 

3/ Chaa Kdam Meric Kchai

Chaa Kdam Meric Kchai has a characteristic pungent flavor of Kampot pepper that blends perfectly with the sweetness of crab meat. This is a prevalent dish in the harbor in Cambodia's Kampot. However, if you still have not had the opportunity to come here to enjoy this unique dish, you can ultimately make this dish at home with the following recipe:

Chaa Kdam Meric Kchai

Ingredient

• 5kg boiled or steamed whole crab
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 40 kampot black peppercorns
• 2 tsp palm sugar
• Fresh coriander
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp Squid brand fish sauce
• Rice and green vegetables
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. Tear the crab body in half and break the claws off
2. Fry the crab pieces in an oil pan for 2 minutes
3. Grind the pepper finely and put it in the pan with the minced garlic
4. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and a spoonful of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in crab, and coat evenly in the sauce.
6. Place the crabs on a plate and drizzle the sauce on top
7. Serve with rice and green vegetables.

 

4/ Phlea Trei

Phlea Trei is a salad that is loved by many Cambodians. This is a delicious and very eye-catching dish. Besides, its processing is also effortless. You just need to follow the following formula:

Phlea Trei

Ingredients

• Juice of 3 limes
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 garlic clove finely diced
• tsp salt
• 1 red birds eye chilli deseeded, finely sliced (optional)
• 50 g lemongrass white end only, finely sliced
• 50 g long bean finely sliced
• 1 purple shallot finely diced
• 1 tomato finely diced
• 2 tsp bean sprouts blanched
• 2 tsp peanuts peeled and crushed
• 2 tbsp aromatic herbs such as coriander, mint and basil
• 200 g salmon sashimi quality, thinly sliced into strips

Directions

1. Mix fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, salt, garlic and kaffir lime leaves, lemon zest until the sugar dissolves.
2. Place the shallots, tomatoes, beans, peanuts, bean sprouts, and salmon pieces in a mixing bowl and mix well with the sauce to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed.
3. Arrange fish in a large bowl, drizzle leftover sauce over salmon, then garnish with herbs and serve immediately.

 

5/ Samlor Machu Trey

Samlor Machu Trey is available in most restaurants in Cambodia and also in the meals of locals. This is a sweet, sour and spicy soup with lots of herbs and vegetables.

Samlor Machu Trey

Ingredients

This soup includes main ingredients such as Fish, fresh pineapple, chunk pineapple, okra, sugar, Knorr tamarind Soup base powder, fish sauce, salt, cooking oil, garlic, bean sprouts, chili, and some vegetable accompaniment.

Directions

1. Stir-fry lemongrass with garlic and then take it out and set it aside
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and then add fish, pineapple, or juice. When the fish is cooked, add the celery, okra, and tamarind powder. Stir gently.
3. Add Asian rhubarb, tomatoes, and bean sprouts, and pour in lemongrass oil.
4. Tasting spices to taste
5. Serve

 

6/ Bay Cha Kapi

Bay Cha Kapi is a famous shrimp fried rice dish in Cambodia. This is an attractive dish and is not widespread across the country. You'll come across this fried rice anywhere you see shrimp paste being made and sold, whether it's made with river shrimp or sea shrimp. This means this dish will also have a characteristic shrimp paste smell and attractive crispy fried rice.

Bay Cha Kapi

Dried shrimp

• Carrot
• Kale
• Garlic
• Fresh peeled shrimp
• Egg
• Rice
• Salt, pepper, sugar, and soy sauce

Directions

1. Soak dried shrimp in water. Chop the carrots, separate the kale, then blanch both for a few minutes and set aside.
2. Sauté garlic until fragrant, then add fresh shrimp and sauté for about 1 minute.
3. Put the shrimp aside and stir-fry the eggs.
4. Add shrimp paste to the ingredients in the pan, drain the dried shrimp, then add carrots, kale, rice, salt, pepper, sugar and soy sauce. Stir-fry, mixing everything well, just for a few minutes until cooked.
5. Tasting spices to taste
6. Serve.

 

Best Places to Eat Khmer Seafood

1/ Daughters of Cambodia Restaurant – Sugar and Spice Café

– Address: 65, Street 178 | Upper Level of Visitor Centre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

– Phone: +855 89 910 203.

- Service: Breakfast, lunch

– Opening hours: From 9:00 am – 5:30 pm.

– Average price: $4 - $35

2/ The Lost Room Restaurant

– Address: 43, Street 21-very close to Wat Svey | Propey and Russian Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

– Phone: +855 78 700 001.

– Served: Dinner

– Opening hours: From 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

– Average price: $2 - $30

3/ Taqueria Corona Restaurant

– Address: #14E, Street 51 (Pasteur Street), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

– Phone: +855 89 281 626

– Catering: Lunch, Dinner, Delivery, Reservations

– Opening hours: From 11:00am – 10:00pm

– Average price: $3 - $40

 

Above are Khmer seafood dishes and delicious places to eat in Cambodia that you can refer to before visiting this country. I hope the above information will be helpful to you.

Van Anh

Source: Internet