How to make the best Khmer Curry (Samlor curry)

When we talk about food in Asia, Khmer curry (Samlor curry) as well as Thai and Indian curry is one of the first dishes that comes into our minds. The Khmer empire ruled once over large parts of what is today south-east Asia. As you can still see at the ancient site of Angkor Wat (which was built as a Hindu temple first), the culture was influenced by the Hindu religion and Indian food. One dish that remembers one of the culinary roots is Khmer curry. It combines spices brought from priests and business people to the kingdom with local ingredients. 

Khmer Curry: Homemade

Cambodian food – as you will see in our cooking classes at Dine With The Locals – has two major ingredients special to the country: Kreung, a spice paste, and prahok, fermented fish. But are part of a long tradition of food in Cambodia. Prahok was used not only to give the food a certain taste. It was a way to store protein – from fish – in areas where there was drought or not much access to rivers and lakes. The Khmer curry combines all of them into a mild dish, found nearly everywhere in the country.

Khmer curry is not spicy

Other than Thai curries, the Khmer curry is not spicy at all. The reason: When Khmer food was developed during the Jayavarman period, chili was not yet known in the region. It came later from South-America. Cambodian food is usually more sweet, because palm sugar is a main ingredient. Other spices used are lemon grass, galangal, ginger and other roots. 

Simmer the curry for 20 minutes

Ingredients for an authentic Khmer curry 

• 1/2 Chicken
• 2 big cubes of blood curd
• 1.5 cup coconut milk
• Kreuong paste (make it yourself or buy a at the market)
• Fresh chilli, soaked in water
• 1 Onion
• 1 Sweet potato
• 3 tbs red curry powder
• 1 tspPrahok
• 1 tbp Palm sugar
• Fish sauce to taste
• 1 cup water
• Oil

Vegetarian Khmer curry

• 6 small cubes tofu
• 1.5 cup coconut milk
• Kreuong paste (make it yourself or buy  at the market)
• Fresh chilli, soaked in water
• 1 Onion
• 1 Sweet potato
• 3 tbs red curry powder
• 1 tbp Palm sugar
• Mushroom saucee
• Oil

How to make a delicious Khmer curry

As with the more yellow Indian curry powder the red Khmer curry powder is rarely made fresh anymore. Most people buy it at the market. The main ingredients are Chili Powder, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Star Anise, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek Seed, Coriander and Cumin, although some may change the list a bit. Most important is that only a bit of chili is used – it should not be too spicy.

1. Clean the chicken and blood curd (slice the chicken if you want)
2. Cut the sweet potato in slices, as well as the onion
3. Heat the oil
4. Add chilli paste first, then prahok
5. Add kreung paste
6. Stir until fragant
7. Stir in palm sugar, let it melt
8. Add seasoning and fish sauce
9. now add either chicken and bloog curd or tofu.
10. Stir and add water
11. Heat up until the water starts boiling
12. Simmer for 5 minutes
13.  Add cocount milk
14. Heat it up then add onion and sweet potato
15. Let it simmer until potato is soft
16. Serve with rice, rice noodles or bread