Samlor Korko

Cambodia's 'stirred soup': fish or pork and a garden of vegetables simmered in a broth built on green lemongrass kroeung, prahok, and toasted ground rice

Origin: Phnom Penh & Cambodia

From the journey of Lemongrass.

Samlor korko, the 'stirred soup', is counted among the national dishes of Cambodia, and it is the one that most depends on the green kroeung. That paste takes its colour from lemongrass leaves as well as stalks, about three parts leaf to one of stalk, pounded with galangal, turmeric, and garlic, and it is fried with prahok, the fermented fish paste, before the broth goes in. Toasted rice, ground to a powder, thickens the soup and gives it a smoky edge. Into it goes whatever the garden and the market have: green papaya, pumpkin, aubergine, long beans, green banana, and leaves. A folk story explains the name: a soup of a hundred ingredients was set before a king, who added toasted rice and found it perfect, and because the villagers were always stirring it, it became the stirred soup. The story is a story; what it records accurately is that the toasted rice is the finishing touch.

Ingredients

Green Kroeung

4 stalks of lemongrass, with a good handful of their green leaves, all thinly sliced
3 cm galangal, sliced
2 cm fresh turmeric, or 0.5 tsp ground
4 garlic cloves
3 makrut lime leaves

Toasted Rice

3 tbsp uncooked jasmine rice

Soup

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp prahok (fermented fish paste), or 2 tsp shrimp paste
400 g catfish or other firm fish, or pork shoulder, cut into pieces
1.5 litres water or light stock
200 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 small green papaya, peeled and cut into batons (or 200 g chayote)
2 Thai aubergines, quartered
100 g long beans, cut into 4 cm lengths
1 handful leafy greens (moringa, amaranth, or spinach)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp palm sugar

Method

Pound all the kroeung ingredients in a mortar, or blend with a splash of water, to a fine green paste.
Toast the rice in a dry pan, stirring, until deep golden and fragrant. Cool, then grind to a powder.
Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the kroeung and prahok for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
Add the fish or pork and stir to coat, then pour in the water and bring to a simmer. (Pork needs 20 minutes before the vegetables; fish goes on with them.)
Add the pumpkin and papaya and simmer for 10 minutes, then the aubergines and long beans for 5 minutes more.
Stir in the ground rice, the fish sauce, and the palm sugar, and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes until the broth thickens slightly. Add the greens at the end.
Taste and adjust with fish sauce, and serve with rice.

Notes

Prahok is powerful; start with less and add to taste. The soup is better on the second day.

The Gastrographer

Name: Samlor Korko
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Phnom Penh & Cambodia
Ingredients: 4 stalks of lemongrass, with a good handful of their green leaves, all thinly sliced; 3 cm galangal, sliced; 2 cm fresh turmeric, or 0.5 tsp ground; 4 garlic cloves; 3 makrut lime leaves; 3 tbsp uncooked jasmine rice; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp prahok (fermented fish paste), or 2 tsp shrimp paste; 400 g catfish or other firm fish, or pork shoulder, cut into pieces; 1.5 litres water or light stock; 200 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed; 1 small green papaya, peeled and cut into batons (or 200 g chayote); 2 Thai aubergines, quartered; 100 g long beans, cut into 4 cm lengths; 1 handful leafy greens (moringa, amaranth, or spinach); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp palm sugar

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control