Bitter Melon soup with Pork (Sngo Mareash)

Bitter Melon soup with Pork (Sgno Mareash)

Many Khmer grandparents like Sgno Mareash because it tastes bitter and this soup is not for young kid.  Dried shrimp and dried turnip is salty you have to becareful with salt. You can  use Tralach instead of bitter melon for the children. 

3 small bitter melons cut to small size then take all the seeds out by making hole to stuff the meat inside
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small bunch bean thread soaked wash cut to tiny pieces
3 cloves of garlic pound to paste in mortar
2 T of dried shrimp soaked set aside
2 T of dried turnip wash set aside
1 T of soy sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
½ t salt
2 green onions chopped for garnish
4 ½ cups water

In a mortar pound ½ t of salt, garlic to paste then add dried shrimp and turnip mix it well
Now add the ground pork to it do not pound it too hard just mix it or else your meat will be mashed, add 1 T of soy sauce and chicken bouillon cube to it then add soaked bean thread mix it again until well combine, take 1/3 cup of meat mixture out set aside for later

Take each bitter melon and stuff it with the meat mixture one by one until all done

In a medium pot put 4 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil, now add the stuff bitter melon cook it for 15 minutes or until tender then add ¼ of meat mixture to it bit by bit (tiny pieces) so the meat will cook the same time as bitter melon. It will take about 25 minutes for the bitter melon to get soft enough to eat.

Taste your soup adjust the flavor when the melon is done turn the heat off and garnish with chopped green onions.

Serve hot with cooked rice

Enjoy!

Coconut Pumpkin Taro Dessert (Bor Bor Pa’Am Lapouv)

Coconut Pumpkin Taro Dessert (Bor Bor Pa’Am Lapouv)

2 ½ cups of Japanese Pumpkin cut to bite size (you need pumpkin that is sticky to make this dessert)
2 ½ cups of Taro roots cut to bite size (wash) if you don’t have taro use potato
1 can of coconut cream or coconut milk
2 cup of water
1/4 t of salt
1 t of Vanilla extract
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar


In a medium pot boil coconut milk and water with salt
When the water is boiling add taro and pumpkin, cook until the pumpkin and taro is tender
Then add sugar, and vanilla extract
Cook until all the pumpkin and taro is done turn the heat off
Serve warm or cool.
Sometime I save a bit of coconut cream to add on top before serving if you do that you have to serve it warm not cold.

Enjoy!

Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle Soup

Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle Soup

Pho noodle soup is very popular in the US; the Vietnamese make their Pho with Spices and serve with fresh noodle and herbs. There are different kind of Pho, American like beef and chicken Pho the most. This recipes make a lot if you don’t have many people to feed cut in half or you can freeze it for later use that what I do all the time.  It take 2 hours or longer to make this soup broth so make it ahead of time.

To make Pho broth you need

2 ½ lbs of beef knuckle bone (wash)
2 lbs of beef chuck bone (wash)
1 white onion cut in half and grills until brown in color
1 big fresh ginger cut in half and grills
1 cinnamon stick
5 Star Aniseeds
10 cloves
20 cups of water
1/2 cup of fish sauce
1/3 cup of sugar or one big piece of Rock sugar
2 T of salt

To garnish the bowl
Thinly sliced good beef set aside
Meat balls cut in half cook in soup broth set aside
hoisin sauce
chili sauce
black pepper
For Veggie you need
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Thai basil
Green onion
Jalapeno pepper
Lime wedges

In a deep big pot start to boil enough water to parboil the bone for 5 minutes then drain the bone and wash it set aside (if you parboil the bone first it will make your broth clear)

In the same pot boil 20 cups of water. When the water is boiling add the bone back in and cook for 30 minutes scrap off anything that come to the top so the broth is clear.

After 30 minutes add white grill onion and ginger, cinnamon stick, star aniseeds, and cloves cook on medium heat for 30 more minutes,

Now add fish sauce, sugar, and salt to it turn the heat down to low and let the soup broth simmer for 1 hour.

Taste your soup broth and adjust the flavor to your taste.

For the noodle you need
You can use dried noodle or fresh it is best to find fresh noodle, if you use dried noodle soak in warm water for 20 minutes drain and set aside.

In a big pot boil enough water to cook the noodle. Take a handful of noodle and put in a colander and dip it in the hot boiling water for just few minutes until the noodle is soft ( fresh noodle will not take long if you cook it too long it will turn to mash)

When ready to serve turn the heat back on the soup broth then add the meat ball cook until it float to the top then turn the heat down to low.

Take the noodle out and put in a big Pho serving bowl, add meat ball and cooked sliced beef on top add enough broth to cover the noodle, garnish with bean sprouts, Thai basil, green onion, Jalapeno pepper, chili sauce, hoisin sauce and lime wedge. Serve hot on a cold day.

Enjoy!

Stir fry noodle ( khmer Mee Char)

Stir fry noodle ( khmer Mee Char)

This is khmer char mee, it is easy to make, instead of Pad Thai khmer Mee Char is a bit difference we serve with tuk trey (sweet fish sauce and garnish with crush peanut). I twist the recipe a bit so the noodle is softer and not so dry.

For the noodle you need

1 pg of dried noodle soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes then drain and set aside.
For meat you need sliced chicken, pork, beef, fried egg or shrimp is best.
2 T of minced garlic
3 to 4 T of oil for stir fry
2 cups of bean sprouts
1/2 cup of chives chopped
2 green onions chopped

Lime juice
Chili sauce
Crush peanut for garnish
Sweet fish sauce to add to the noodle later if needed.

Stir fry sauce

In a small bowl mix everything together and set aside
3 T of fish sauce
3 T of soy sauce
2 T of brown sugar or palm sugar
2 T of thick soy sauce
1 T of tamarind concentrate

In a none stick fry pan heat oil until hot add minced garlic stir fry until brown then add meat cook until the meat is done
Now add the noodle stir fry until tender add sauce to the noodle you might need to add a bit of water if the noodle is not soft enough.
When the noodle is almost done add bean sprouts, green onions, and chives stir fry until everything is hot then turn the heat off.

When ready to serve garnish with lime juice, chili sauce, crush peanut and if needed you can add sweet fish sauce to it.

for the sweet fish sauce you need
3 T of fish sauce
2 T of sugar
2 T of lime juice or vinegar
3 T of water
1 clove of minced garlic
This sauce you can adjust the flavor to your taste. 

Note: this recipe is good to eat by itself but if you want to add sweet fish sauce you need to reduce 1 T of fish sauce, 1 T of soy sauce and 1 T of brown sugar because sweet fish sauce has the sweetness and salty on its own.

Fried Tilapia with Ginger and Salty Soy Bean (Trey Chean Jurn)

Fried Tilapia with Ginger and Salty Soy Beans
(Trey Chean Jurn)

1 cleaned tilapia make sure you slice the fish on each side so it fry faster (no head or tail but if you like do so) in the picture I used only white part, but it is best to do whole fish.

1/2 cup of julienne ginger
1/2 cup of julienne white onion
Half red bell pepper julienne
1 julienne Jalapeno pepper seeded if you don’t like spicy
2 T of minced garlic
Chopped green onion or cilantro for garnish (optional)
Oil to fry the fish


For the sauce

2 T of Salty Soy Beans (this soy beans paste is salty)
2 T of lime juice
1 T of soy sauce or fish sauce (make sure you taste the sauce in case it is salty)
2 T of Thai sweet and Chili sauce from the bottle
1 T of water

Mix the sauce together in a bowl and set aside (you taste the sauce and adjust what you need for salty, sweet and sour flavor.)

In a none stick fry pan add enough vegetable oil to fry the tilapia until golden brown on medium heat.
Take the fish out and set it on a serving plate, set aside.

In the same pan take some oil out; you only need 2 T to fry the spice ingredients
Heat the pan back up until hot then add garlic fry until brown then add ginger, white onion, jalapeno pepper, stir fry until tender you can smell the ginger and garlic.

Now add the sauce mixture in let it come to a boil then turn the heat off. Let the sauce cool a bit before add to the fish plate.

When serve add the ginger garlic sauce over the fish and garnish with chopped green onion or cilantro.

Enjoy!

Banana Caramel Cake

Banana Caramel Cake

I found this recipe on line from someone and it is really good, it tastes like spice cake with the flavor of banana in it. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

To make the cake you need

2 cups flour
1 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
¼ t cloves
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 large eggs
11/4 cups canola or vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 T vanilla extract
3 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas, mashed
Round cake pan

For the Caramel sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 T of milk
4 T of butter
Melt everything on low heat and cooked for 5 minutes turn the heat off and set aside. (Make this sauce the last 10 minutes before the cake done baking.)

In a bowl mix all the dried ingredients together (except the sugar, chocolate chips and banana) set aside

In a cake mixer, mix all the wet ingredients
First the eggs, canola oil, sugar, vanilla, until well combined, and then add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time until all incorporated.

Stop the machine , then fold in the chocolate chip and banana to the mixture.

Spray round cake pan with baking spray then pour the cake mixture in it

Bake at 350 degree oven for 60 minute or until the cake is done

Take the cake out and let it cool for 15 minutes

Now poke tiny hole in the cake make sure you make lot of holes so the caramel can absorb inside the cake, pour all the caramel sauce bit by bit until it all done on the cake. The cake will look really soft, but it will be harder when it is cool down.



Enjoy!

Grilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers ( Sach Ko Ang Jakak)

Grilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers ( Sach Ko Ang Jakak)


2 lbs of good beef thinly sliced
3 T of water
2 T of palm sugar or brown sugar
3 T of oyster sauce
2 T of fish sauce or soy sauce
1/2 cup of minced lemongrass
1 T of galangal
4 cloves of garlic
2 to 3 kaffir lime leaves shredded
3 T of vegetable oil (help the meat softer)
1 T of crush red chili pepper (optional)
1/4 cup of crush peanuts (optional some people like it)
1 T of lemon juice
1/4 t of turmeric
1/4 t of paprika (optional good color)
Skewers soak for 30 minutes before thread the meat to grill
Yoshida sauce if needed at the end to brush on beef skewers for color (optional)

In mortar pound lemongrass, garlic, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric to paste.
Marinate the beef with lemongrass paste and the rest of ingredients overnight or at least 4 hours. Thread meat in skewers. Grill beef on medium heat and when ready brush with some of Yoshida sauce for color.

For Jruk Lahong (papaya salad)

Sorry I didn’t measuring this part, but I have the ingredients for you

Shredded green papaya
Shredded carrot
Thinly sliced fresh ginger
Minced garlic
Fish sauce
Salt
Sugar
Vinegar
Fresh jalapeño pepper thinly sliced if you don’t like spicy take seeds out
Make this salad the night before or it won’t taste good

Serve sach ko ang with jruk lahong

Enjoy!

Khmer, Thai, Lao grill lemongrass Chicken

Khmer, Thai, Lao grill lemongrass Chicken

 Sorry for the picture the chicken have fat on it, my grill look a bit kind of dirty but the chicken taste really good:)

2 1/2 lbs of chicken, breast, leg, thigh, wing whatever you like
1/4 cup of water
11/2 T of brown sugar
2 T of oyster sauce
2 T of soy sauce
1 T of fish sauce
1 T of lime juice
1/2 cup of lemongrass
1 T of galangal
5 cloves of garlic
3 kaffir lime leaves shredded
1 T of crush red pepper or ¼ t of black pepper (optional for spicy)
1/4 cup roasted crush peanuts (optional some people like it)

In a mortar pound lemongrass, galangal, garlic, kaffir lime leaves to paste
In a big bowl marinate the chicken with lemongrass paste and the rest of the ingredients with ¼ cup of water to it. It is best to marinate the chicken over night.

If you use chicken legs don’t take out the skin is the best part of lemongrass grill chicken
Grill the chicken on medium heat until it is done. Serve lemongrass chicken with pickle cucumber or Thai sweet and chili sauce and cooked rice.

Enjoy!