Cambodian Chicken and Vegetable Stew Recipe
 Samlaa kako is one of the most popular
Cambodian dishes on restaurant menus and it is cooked daily in people's
homes. There are many different versions, depending on the area and which
vegetables are in season, but it is always delicious. It is a meal in
itself, a big pot of samlaa kako is placed in the middle of the table and
everyone helps themselves. Sometimes it includes rice cooked in it, at
other times it is served with jasmine rice.
Ingredients: (Serves 4 - 6)
30 ml/2 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil
4 garlic cloves, halved and crushed
25 g/1 oz galangal, peeled and finely sliced
2 chilies
30 ml/2 tablespoon
kroeung
15 ml/1 tablespoon palm sugar
12 chicken thighs
30 ml/2 tablespoons
tuk prahoc
A handful kaffir lime leaves
600 ml/1 pt/2.5 cups coconut milk
350 g/12 oz pumpkin flesh, seeded and cut
into bitesize chunks
1 long Asian eggplant (aubergine), quartered
lengthways, each quarter cut into 3
115 g/4 oz long beans, trimmed and cut into
5 cm/2 in lengths
3 tomatoes, skinned, quartered, and seeded
A handful spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
A small bunch basil leaves
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 small bunch fresh coriander
(cilantro), stalks removed, coarsely chopped, to
garnish
1 small bunch mint, to garnish.
Jasmine rice, to serve
Method:
1. Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or heavy
pan. Add the garlic, galangal and whole chilies and stir-fry until
fragrant and golden. Stir in the kroeung and sugar, until it has
dissolved. Add the chicken, tossing it well, and stir in the tuk prahoc,
kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10
minutes.
2. Add the pumpkin, eggplant and snake beans
and simmer until tender. If you need to add more liquid, stir in a little
water. Add the tomatoes and spinach, and the basil leaves. Cook for a
further 2 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with
coriander and mint and serve hot with jasmine rice.
Happy Cooking,
Carol |
