Cambodian•gourmet

Chha Kroeung Chheung Chumnee Chruk

Sreyda recipe - Cambodian

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

4-5 stalks lemongrass (trimmed to the white and pale green parts, and thinly sliced)
1 thumb-sized piece of galangal (or ginger if galangal is unavailable, peeled and sliced)
5-6 cloves garlic (peeled)
3-4 shallots (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric (peeled and sliced (or 1 tsp turmeric powder))
4-5 kaffir lime leaves (stems removed)
1-2 lbs pork ribs (cut into individual pieces)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar (More or less to your taste)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Khmer hot basil or holy basil leaves
Optional: msg or chicken bouillion
Optional: Khmer chilies (sliced (add to kroeung paste for more heat))
Optional: Khmer eggplants, long beans, jalepenos, celery, and/or any combinations of these crispy veggies (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1
Prepare the Kroeung Paste: Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, combine all the kroeung paste ingredients. Grind or blend until you have a smooth, fragrant paste. This may take some time.
2
Marinate the Pork: In a bowl, toss the pork ribs with a few tablespoons of the kroeung paste to coat them well. You can let this marinate for at least 30 minutes, or for a deeper flavor, let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.
3
Stir-Fry the Pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork ribs and stir fry for a minute or two, and add fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and chicken buillion powder or msg.
4
Add Seasoning: Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder or MSG. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5
Simmer: Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the wok, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the pork ribs are tender and the sauce has dried slightly. Stir occasionally so the sauce doesn't burn at the bottom of the pan.
6
Add Vegetables: If you are using eggplants, long beans, sweet peppers, or other vegetables, add them now and stir-fry until they are tender-crisp.
7
Add Basil: Turn off the heat and stir in the holy basil or Thai basil leaves until they are just wilted.
8
Serve: Transfer the stir-fry to a serving dish and serve immediately with hot steamed rice.