SAMLOR KORKO RECIPE FOR A HEARTY (HEALTHY CAMBODIAN STIRRING POT SOUP)

 December 23, 2024

Samlor Korko, aslo known as “samlor kako,” “somlaw koko,” or Cambodian “Stirring-Pot” soup, is a hearty mix of in season-vegetables, unripe fruit, meat of your choice, all of which is packaged with the distinct citrusy lemongrass flavor.

Samlor Korko is one of the most authentic Cambodian food recipes, and a traditional dish served by millions of families across the country. This delicious soup is made with ingredients that are readily available in Southeast Asia and supermarkets across the US. Best of all, you can easily customize this Samlor Korko by using unripe fruit and vegetables that are currently in season and easy to find in your location — this is exactly what Cambodian families do when they prepare this soup.

In our Samlor Kor Ko recipe below, we’ve used the most commonly available traditional ingredients. However, we will also list some great alternatives that you can add to the soup instead

Ingredients

* Kreung Paste Ingredients

- 3 stalks Lemongrass

- 2 inches Galangal knob

- 4 cloves Garlic

- 5 leaves Lime tree leaf

- 1 Chilli pepper

- ½ teaspoon Salt

* Soup Ingredients

- 1 tablespoon Prahok paste

- 1 lb Pork bone

- ¼ cup Ground roasted rice

- 1 Papaya Unripe (green), small

- 1 cup Bitter eggplant

- 1 Eggplant

⅓ Butternut squash

- 1 lb Long beans

- 1 cup Moringa leaves

- ½ tablespoon Sugar Palm sugar is an alternative

- ½ teaspoon MSG

- 1 tablespoon Fish sauce

- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil

- 5 cups Water

* Optional Ingredients

- ½ lb Green bananas

- ½ lb Young jackfruit

INSTRUCTIONS

 

* Kreung (Khmer Curry Paste) Preparation Instructions

1. Cut lemongrass into thin slices and place in a mortar

2. Clean the garlic cloves and put inside the mortar

3. Wash the chilly pepper and place inside the mortar

4. Peel the galangal skin off, cut the galangal into thin slices and place into the mortar

5. Shred the lime tree leaves thinly and place inside the mortar

6. Peel the turmeric skin, slice thinly and place into the mortar

7. Add salt to the mortar

8. Using the pestle, crush the ingredients inside the mortar until they achieve a uniform paste-like consistency

* Soup Preparation Instructions

1. Peel the skin from the butternut squash, then cut the squash into 1-inch cubes and set aside

2. Slice the long beans 2-inch pieces and set aside

3. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes

4. Julienne the papaya and set aside

5. Remove stems from the bitter eggplant and set it aside

6.Clean the maringa leaves and set aside

7.Clean the pork bone, cut into 1-2-inch chunks and set aside

8. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over high heat, then add the kreung paste and lower the heat to medium

9. Fry the kreung on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring the paste continuously

10. Add the pork bone to the pot and stir until it's covered with the kreung paste

11. Add the papaya, butternut squash, bitter eggplant, eggplant, and long beans to the pot and mix together

12. Pour 5 cups of water into the pot and stir

13. Add MSG, sugar, fish sauce, prahok, and ground roasted rice to the pot, then mix well

Add the maringa leaves to the pot and stir together

15. Allow the mixture to boil, then bring the heat down to medium/low

16. At this point, taste the soup and add salt or fish sauce if you'd like the soup to be more savoury

17. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off

18. Serve this Samlor Korkor over a bed of white steamed rice

* NOTES

With this Samlor Korkor recipe, you can use any vegetables that are in season, and any unripe fruit you can find in a supermarket nearby.