Before we left the great ol’ US of A many people were very curious about Cambodian culture and a common question that was asked was, “what do they eat there”? So today Keith and I thought it would be fun to share a few of the meals that we have eaten in restaurants and then made at home.
First let me tell you that NO, they DO NOT eat dogs or cats! Maybe in other Asian countries, but not from we have seen in Cambodia. They do however eat cockroaches, snake, spiders, pigs, chicken, ox, fish and an array of other protein sources. Since we “know” too much about foodborne disease Keith and I have been pretty careful about what and where we eat, but have been able to try several local cuisines and neither of us have gotten sick…yet!
When we go out to restaurants we look for places that have a good variety, good prices, and loads of customers. We only order bottled water, beer, wine, or tea and we tend to be a bit skeptical of the ice, even though we are told it is safe. Some of our new friends have been taking us to some really good places and others we have found on our own. Some of our favorite courses include Shrimp Spring Rolls (fried only because fresh are not safe to eat), Khmer Curry, Beef Lok Lak, and Fried Rice. Since Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos many restaurants offer dishes from these countries. We have made almost all of these meals at home and have been pretty successful so we thought that we would share the recipes so that you can try them at home!
Fried rice is a great way to use up left over steamed rice, so we have been eating it whenever we need to clean out the fridge. It’s very easy to make and doesn’t really need a recipe. You can try adding different types of veggies and protein to make it more filling. We have made it with chicken, beef and tofu and it always tastes great. We usually make it like this...
1. put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan and get it hot.
2. fry 2 eggs and scramble
3. add chopped veggies (carrots, onion, mushroom, etc) and stir fry for a few minutes
4. add rice and mix well in pan breaking up any large bits
5. sprinkle with a little salt and stir fry for a few more minutes
6. EAT!
Beef Lok Lak is kind of like small chunks of beef with an Asian style bbq sauce served over rice with lettuce and tomato on the side (we skip the fresh veggies since it can cause sickness) We have been using the recipe found on the following link. I usually triple the recipe so that Keith gets enough and we can have leftovers. You can also make this dish with chicken or shrimp, but our favorite is the classic beef recipe.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CAMBODIAN-LOK-LAK-50012663
Khmer Curry is great for those who want something savory and sweet in one dish. The coconut milk in the recipe adds the sweetness and the chili powder adds a bite. This dish is very hearty and can feed a number of people with one potful. The sauce is very flavorful so it can be stretched when served over rice to feed more people or if you want to have left overs. We made this last night and have three containers filled with sauce for dinner tonight and probably tomorrow. This is not the “healthiest” dish because it is calorie dense, but if you have with rice and go easy on the sauce it’s a good filling meal. Check out the link below to see how it’s made.
http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-curry-cambodian-245936
Spring Rolls are great for a snack or as an appetizer. These ones are deep fried, so don’t eat too many! When we were living in California, our friend Jenny had a graduation party and served these. Her family is Cambodian and her mom is an awesome cook! We had these once since living in Phnom Penh and Keith cannot stop talking about them! Like I said, since they are deep fried, you should only have them in small amounts and not very often. I bought the ingredients for these Shrimp and Crab Spring rolls and plan to make them later this week. I love the fresh ones and eat them all the time in the U.S, but since I DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT want to get sick I have been very disciplined and have avoided them. Check out the next recipe if you think you might like to try them.
http://sundaynitedinner.com/vietnamese-crispy-spring-rolls-cha-gio/
Also, for those of you who are gluten free by choice or by necessity you can substitute tamari which is soy sauce that doesn’t contain wheat. I was a little concerned when we first moved here that Keith would have a hard time eating, but since they don’t use soy sauce in many of their recipes and rice is a huge part of their diet it has been really easy! Some of the other foods that we have been enjoying are all of the delicious fruits! Yes, you can eat fresh fruit here as long as you can peel it such as my favorite Mango. Keith has been going crazy for dragon fruit and the bananas are so tiny and sweet that we can’t stop eating them. Don’t worry moms we are getting our fruits and veggies in daily! We hope that you try out some of these recipes and tell us what you think. I know at least a few of you who enjoy cooking (josh Chaudoin and Melissa curry)!
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