weekend in siem reap

Those of you that follow me on twitter will know that I recently went on a trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia. I had never been to Cambodia and really didn't know what to expect. The purpose of our visit, as it is for many, was to visit the temple 'ruins' of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and around. We spent our days cycling around on rental bikes stopping to explore the temples that we found along the way. It was wonderful being out of hectic city life and being reminded that there is another life beyond the city.

Of course no visit anywhere is complete with out some foodie treats. So in the evenings we headed into the town in search of food and drink. Siem Reap is a relatively small city but there are lots of great food options there to be found. As we were only in the country for a few days and it was my first visit, I wanted to get an understanding of Cambodian food and flavours. On our first night we enjoyed a great dinner at the Cambodian BBQ. There are similar versions of this dining experience around the region but here they bring a bucket of hot coals to your table, put a kind of hot pot / griddle over the heat and then bring you dishes of meat, vegetables, noodles and rice. The idea is to grill the meat over the central part of the griddle allowing the cooking juices to fall down into the moat of stock below. In the mean time you would be cooking fresh rice oodles and pieces of pumpkin or other vegetables in the developing broth, occasionally ladling some out to eat. The waiting staff will keep topping up your noodle, vegetable and broth supplies until you can take no more! It's a great fun and sociable way to eat and I'll definitely be seeking out other Cambodian style BBQ places when I get chance.

The next night we wanted to try some classic Khmer cooking and headed to The Sugar Palm. This is considered to be one of the best restaurants in Siem Reap and Gordon Ramsey has even visited to learn how to cook traditional amok.

Anyway, we had cycled the best part of 30 miles and felt we had earned a feast for dinner so ordered plenty. We enjoyed the Beef Skewers marinated with lemongrass, pomelo salad with pork, shrimp, mint and coconut, chargrilled aubergine/eggplant with pork and finally Amok Trey. Every dish we had at The Sugar Palm was delicious and next time we're in Siem Reap I will definitely be coming back. 

Check out my version of amok trey here. 

Amok Trey

Spring Rolls

massaman curry paste

One of my favourite Thai curry pastes. Not too spicy and is often considered a 'training' curry for children and those who like their food on the milder side. My favourite massaman curry use stewing steak and potatoes but you regularly see it on the menu in Thailand with chicken too. This is my finished version made with beef. 

This is based on the nicest recipe I've found online so far and made a great curry. Thank you taste.com.au! I've made a couple of small alterations along the way due to necessity but remained fairly close to the original.

Ingredients

8 dried long red chillies
1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste
2 teaspoons whole coriander
2 teaspoons whole cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 stem lemon grass, trimmed, white part chopped
3cm piece galangal, peeled, chopped

1. Soak the chillies in recently boiled water for 20-30 minutes or until soft and pliable. Dran then cut into small pieces with scissors. 
2. In a dry frying pan quickly roast off the whole spices until their fragrance is released. This will take 30 seconds to a minute. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. You could do this in a blender but I find you get a better finished product for dry spices in a pestle and mortar. 
3. Either continue with the pestle and mortar or transfer to a blender, combine the dry spices, shrimp paste and chillies with a tablespoon of water until you have a smooth paste.
4. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition until you have a thick paste. 
5. Use the paste immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months. Curry paste also freezes fairly well so if you're in the mood why not make a larger batch for another day?

Here's a link to a great massaman curry recipe while I get around to posting my own version. Enjoy!

lemongrass infused syrup

After struggling to find flavouring syrups in Bangkok that aren't packed with unnecessary additives or at a massively inflated price I decided to have a go at making my own. This syrup would be great for flavouring cocktails - try it with rum or vodka, a generous squeeze of lime juice and some soda water, or  simply with some water, lemon or lime slices and ice cubes for a refreshing summer drink. The ingredients I'm using here are readily available in Bangkok but increasingly easy to find in UK supermarkets now too. When preparing the ingredients don't make any of them too small otherwise they'll be a pain to remove from the syrup afterwards

Ingredients
3 stems of lemongrass
1 Lime (I used a Kafir lime)
thumb sized piece of galangal
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of water

1. Lightly bash up the lemongrass with a rolling pin or other suitably heavy implement so that it is bruised.
2. With a sharp knife remove the lime zest in large pieces being carefully to not remove too much of the white pitch underneath. You don't want to use the pitch as it will make the syrup too bitter.
3. Slice the galangal into thickish slices lengthways. 
4. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and put over a low heat, uncovered, until all the sugar has dissolved and bubbles are gently rising to the surface. Turn off the heat and leave to cool before using allowing the flavours to infuse further.
5. If you're not going to use the full amount straight away transfer the syrup to a properly sterilised bottle or jar and should keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks or so.

prawn and sweet potato curry

This is a delicious and easy curry recipe that is broadly inspired by a Malaysian style prawn curry. You can adjust the number of chillies to your preferred heat. While the six I put in this one may seem like a lot, the tomatoes, coconut milk and sweet potatoes temper them a little. This made a wonderful Sunday supper.

Ingredients

Curry Paste:

4 green finger chillies

2 dried red chillies

4 shallots peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves

2 lemongrass stalks chopped into smaller pieces

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp fish sauce, shrimp paste or salt

3 cm chunk of root ginger, peeled

Everything else:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

400ml coconut milk

400g tinned tomatoes

300ml water

10 curry leaves (fresh is best if you can get hold of them)

2-4 green chillies (optional if you want extra heat)

500g raw prawns

1/2 tsp tamarind paste

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

To serve:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

10 curry leaves

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

lime wedges

fresh mint and coriander 

steamed basmati or jasmine rice 

1. Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor and process until you have a smooth paste. Set to one side until you are ready to use it.
2. In a large, heavy based saucepan heat the oil over a medium high heat. Add the curry leaves and mustard seeds and cook until their scent is released and the seeds begin to pop. Next add the curry paste and continue to cook until it begins to dry and becomes fragrant. Stir frequently to avoid the paste sticking to the pan.
3. Add the tinned tomatoes and tamarind paste and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 
4. Next add the water and sweet potato chunks, reduce the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes or until they are tender and the sauce has reduced.
5. Add the prawns and cook for another 5 minutes or until they are cooked through. Finally add the coconut milk and simmer for a couple of minutes. 
6. For a final flourish, in a small frying pan heat the extra tbsp of oil until hot, add the curry leaves and mustard seed and fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant then pour over the curry.
7. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with lime wedges and chopped fresh mint and coriander.

I've entered this recipe into A Kick at the Pantry Door's 'Feel Good Food Challenge'. Why not take a look at all the other great recipes featured.