The recipes in this book are simple and easy to produce. They require little preparation time and don’t involve any complicated techniques. Most of the ingredients can be found in your local supermarket and the more specific ingredients (including suitable Asian substitutes) can be found at the nearest Asian grocery or on-line.
Ingredient alternatives are provided in the Ingredient section (pages 8–11) and helpful tips are given within the recipes. Together, they will help you navigate this culinary adventure and ensure your success.
Basic cooking equipment can be used to cook Cambodian food at home. However, a mortar and pestle is the best tool for crushing whole spices and making spice pastes. Many of the recipes will specify “pounding” ingredients in a mortar and while a food processor is a sufficient substitute, a traditional mortar and pestle makes quick work with little clean up.
The recipes serve four people as a main course, however they can easily be cut in half to yield a smaller quantity or served with other dishes to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Asian shallots are small and round and have a pinkish-purple color. Shallots add a sweet oniony flavor and a hint of garlic to countless dishes. They are also sliced, deep-fried and used as a garnish.
Banana flowers are the unopened male flowers of the banana plant—a purple-red inflorescence tinged with yellow at the base that hangs at the end of a clump of developing bananas. The hearts of these flowers, which have been stripped off their purple petals, are a popular salad ingredient in some Southeast Asia cuisines. Fresh, canned and dried banana flowers can often be found in specialty stores outside Asia, particularly those stocking Vietnamese and Thai ingredients. Choose a firm, large flower with an even color and check that the outer petals are not wilted. To prepare the flower for cooking, remove the coarse outer petals to reveal the creamy white heart. Quarter the heart lengthwise with an oiled stainless steel knife to avoid the sticky sap clinging to it. If not cooking immediately, soak in cold water or rub with lemon or lime juice to avoid discoloration. Simmer the cut heart in plenty of lightly salted water until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, cool then pull out and discard the hard filaments inside each cluster of yellow stamens as they have an unpleasant texture. Cabbage leaves may be used as a substitute.
Banana leaves are used to wrap food for steaming or grilling. The moisture and flavor of the banana leaf makes a difference to the texture and flavor of the food, but if you can’t find fresh or frozen banana leaf, use aluminum foil. Before using to wrap food, the leaves should be softened for easy folding, either by soaking in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes or briefly heating over a low flame.
Basil Two types of basil are used in the recipes in this book: Holy Basil is known as merap prey in Cambodian and kaprow in Thai. This variety, which can reach several feet in height, has a unique smell, that is a combination of sweet Italian basil and geranium. Holy basil is a common ingredient in Cambodian cuisine—it is often added at the end of the cooking in stir-fry dishes or to stuffings. It can be found in most Asian grocery stores, and may be substituted with Thai basil. Thai Basil, known as chie nieng vong in Cambodian, horapa in Thai and húng qúê in Vietnamese has a dark green leaf. Its aroma is similar to Italian basil, with a slight aniseed tang. Thai basil is used frequently in Cambodia to flavor salads and soups. Like most basils, it should only be added to the dish at the very last moment, otherwise it will lose its fragrance. Thai basil is available in some well-stocked supermarkets or Asian markets. It will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) can be substituted, but the flavor will not be the same. It is, however, a better alternative than sweet Italian basil.
Bitter Khmer Leaves This bitter leaf, also referred to simply as bitter leaf or Sdao, is often blanched before use to reduce its bitterness. Sorrel leaves are a good substitute, but are usually only available seasonally. However, fresh spinach can also be substituted.
Chili peppers come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Fresh green and red Asian finger-length chilies are moderately hot. Tiny red, green or orange bird’s-eye chilies (chili padi) are very hot. Dried chili peppers, known as mate phlao krim in Cambodia, refer to mild finger-length chili peppers, with their seeds removed, which have been salted and then dried. They must be soaked before crushing, to remove any surplus salt. Dried chilies can be found in most Asian grocery stores, and will keep indefinitely. If necessary, finger-length fresh chili peppers, with their seeds and inner membranes removed, can be substituted.
Coriander leaves are also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley. Available fresh, the roots, stems and leaves are all used in cooking. They are strongly flavored, so use sparingly. Available in most supermarkets—but if you cannot find, use regular parsley with a few fresh basil leaves added.
Daikon radish is a large, crisp, white-fleshed radish, with a sweet and clean flavor. It is a vegetable that is widely used in Japanese and Korean cooking, and can be eaten raw, or cooked. The skin needs to be peeled or scrubbed before using. Daikon is available from Asian markets and many well-stocked supermarkets.
Dried Cambodian fish, known as trey niet, is filleted fish that has been cured in salt and sugar and then dried. It has a delicate flavor. Dried fish must always be lightly fried before using. It is available in Asian groceries, but if necessary, it can be replaced by salt cod that has been soaked to remove some of the salt, or with fresh cooked fish.
Eggplants used in Asia are generally of the slender, purple-skinned variety, 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long. They are mild and need not be salted before use.
Fish paste, or prahok, is one of the most distinctive ingredients in Cambodian cooking. It is fish that has been preserved in salt until it breaks down into a paste. It has a very strong cheese-like smell that many Westerners find unappetizing, but it undoubtedly adds a depth of flavor to Cambodian food. Prahok is available in Asian grocery stores and can always be replaced by its Thai equivalent (nam prik pha), the Laotian equivalent (padek) or by dried shrimp paste (belachan).
Fish sauce, known as teuk trey, is a thin, salty sauce that is made with the juice that is leftover from preparing prahok. It looks like soy sauce, but has a very strong smell. Fish sauce is available in supermarkets and in Asian groceries and its Vietnamese (nuoc mam) or Thai (nam pla) equivalents can be substituted.
Galangal is also known in English as Thai Ginger and as rumdeng in Cambodia. A cream-colored white root with a distinct flavor that is used to flavor curry pastes and soups. Galangal is very fibrous and therefore must be sliced very fine, cross-wise, before using. It is available in Asian grocery stores and in some supermarkets. It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator and it also freezes well, either whole or chopped.
Green mangoes In Cambodia, the mango season only lasts just one month. The man-goes are usually not left to ripen, but are used when still green, either in a salad or sprinkled with salt and chili.They can also be used to tenderize meat. Green mangoes