Khmer Curry: A Recipe

This week I have been feeling bits of crummy under the weather.  To escape such things, Topher and I are jaunting off to a nearby town this weekend that is complete with ribs, pancakes and just the two of us.

However, a few weekends back, we made our usual Saturday trek to our former training village to study Khmer and this time, learn how to make Khmer curry, which is uber amounts of delicious!

Many people were excited about these endeavors.

I believe this recipe can be easily replicated in both Cambodian and American kitchens.  Try it out, will ya and let me know if you think it's delicious?

Oh, and I've converted it to American kitchens in parentheses!

Khmer Curry: A Recipe 

courtesy of Siphen, an amazing woman

serves 5-6 people

100 grams dried, red chilis (about a cup or so)

1 kilo coconut shavings (2 cans of coconut milk)

100 grams lemongrass (about 3/4 of a cup)

5 cloves garlic

2 roots of tumeric (about a 1/3-1/2 cup)

small handful of kaffir lime (about two tablespoons)

1 cup raw peanuts

3-4 Tablespoons palm sugar (similar to brown sugar syrup)

2 heaping Tablespoons salt

2 heaping Tablespoons chicken bouillon

2 kilo of pork ribs/chicken/any kind of meat (about 3-4 pounds)

Step 1: soak the chilis for an hour or so, with the seeds removed.

Step 2: Go pick some lemongrass and tumeric from your garden.

(or just buy some from the market, as it's cheap)

Step 4: Chop, chop, chop those chilis into a paste

Step 5: Pulverize lemongrass, tumeric, garlic and kaffir lime in a mortar and pestal (or food processor) into a fine granulated mixture

Step 5a: admire pork ribs and spices

Step 6: chop your pork ribs or meat

Step 7: Make coconut milk the hard way.  Put shavings into a bowl.

Add a small amount of water, and begin making small balls of shavings, squeezing out all the delicious milky coconut milk.  Repeat once for a think, creamy milk, put aside, and repeat once more for a little bit more, more watery milk.  

Discard coconut shavings, or give to your cows.

Step 7a: Admire your chili paste

Step 7b: Bring 1/2 of thick coconut milk (from first squeezing- or, one can) to a low simmer.

Add chili paste

stir until combined, as below.

add spice mixture as well.  allow to rolling simmer.

Step 8: roast raw peanuts until browned.

then de-shell peanuts and crush into a chunky mixture

Your sauce should simmer until it is thick, as above.  

Step 9: add coconut water from second squeezing

Step 10: Add meat and peanuts, cover and cook.

Rolling boils are good to cook meat.

Step 10: Admire the outdoor kitchen you're cooking in.  Or, thank the heavens for your insulated, climate controlled kitchen. Whichever applies.

Step 11: Once meat is cooked, add remaining coconut milk and serve!

Enjoy with friends.

And also, coca cola.

There a million easier ways to make curry (you know, with pre-made curry powder) but I'll let you know how this pans out when I try to cook it all by lonesome in coming weeks.

Happy Friday!