WHILE Asian cuisines like Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese are already a staple of most Australians’ culinary repertoire, the lesser known dishes of Cambodia are finally coming into their own on the international stage. Imbued with the energy of ever-smiling locals, these recipes have a story to tell.

Sourced from a revolutionary restaurant in Phnom Penh run entirely by, and for the benefit of, Cambodia’s street children, you can now savour these traditional heart-warming dishes at home.

Located in the country’s capital, Romdeng – meaning “friends” in the Khmer language – is Cambodia’s first social enterprise restaurant and is renowned for both good food and good work.

For five years the restaurant has provided employment and vocational training to former street kids who do everything from designing the menus, preparing and cooking meals, waiting tables, and even painting the artwork featured on the walls, as well as sewing the silk cushions for the chairs.

If you are visiting Cambodia, you will be moved by the passion with which the founders and Romdeng staff are working towards a brighter future.

For those who aren’t planning a trip to Cambodia, you can bring the inspiration of Romdeng home with some wonderful recipes from the exotic Cambodian cookbook From Spiders to Water Lilies.

Khmer Beef Curry
Serves 4

This intensely flavoured beef curry dish is served at traditional weddings and tastes even better the following day after the flavours have had time to infuse. Before the wedding, the future groom lives with the bride-to-be’s family for at least a year. When the occasion finally arrives, only this dish will do.

Ingredients

600g beef rump, cut into large cubes
3 tbsp pounded peeled ginger, juice saved
2 tbsp pounded fresh coriander, juice saved
1 tsp coriander seeds
8 shallots, grilled until browned
4 garlic cloves, grilled until browned
600ml coconut cream
3 tbsp chilli paste
12 tbsp lemongrass paste
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp shrimp paste
6 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 litres beef stock
2 tsp Vietnamese curry powder
4 tbsp roasted and chopped peanuts
8 kaffir lime leaves, chopped into large pieces
Salt to taste
Red chillies for garnish

Method

Marinate beef in juices from pounded ginger and coriander root for 30 minutes. Pound coriander seeds into powder. Add Asian shallots and garlic, and pound into a paste. Set aside. In a pot, boil 500ml of the coconut cream and reduce by half. Add chilli, lemongrass, red curry and shrimp paste, palm sugar and fish sauce, and fry until fragrant. Add marinated beef and fry for 2 minutes or until all the meat is covered in the mixture. Pour in stock, bring to a boil, add curry powder and simmer until meat is tender, about 1.5 hours.

Add remaining coconut cream, peanuts and half the lime leaves, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and garnish with remaining lime leaves and chillies. Serve with bread.

Grilled Pork Fillet stuffed with Young Coconut
Serves 4

True to traditional Cambodian cuisine, there are no entrees or mains, all meals are laid before the guests at once. These wonderful bite-sized parcels are incredibly light and delicious and will look fabulous on your own dining table. For something different, do away with plates (and washing up) and serve the meal on fresh banana leaves.

Ingredients

400g fresh young coconut meat, cut into julienne strips
4 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp palm sugar
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to taste
4 x 150g pork fillets, pounded to a thickness of 0.5cm
Green onion strings to tie the fillet rolls, blanched
2 tbsp sunflower oil, for grilling
Lettuce leaves and red chillies, cut into julienne strips for garnish
Sliced cucumbers and chopped green onions for garnish

Method

Marinate coconut meat in 2 tablespoons of the oyster sauce, palm sugar, salt and pepper for 5-10 minutes, then dry fry until browned. Set aside. Divide coconut filling into four, place onto pounded pork pieces and roll up, securing with green onion strings. Brush with remaining oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Brush a chargrill with sunflower oil and grill meat, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until cooked on all sides. Let rest for about 2 minutes, then cut each roll into eight pieces.

Place along with garnishes on a plate, sprinkled with chopped green onions.

Grilled Bell Pepper Salad with Sesame Dressing
Serves 4

The colours and flavours of Cambodia – green, red and yellow, smoked fish, fresh lime and sesame – combine to make this a colourful and refreshing side dish. For most of the population of Cambodia, meat is eaten only a couple of times throughout the year so adding flavour to vegetable and fish dishes has evolved to something of an art.

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2cm squares
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2cm squares
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2cm squares
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
12 Asian shallots, thinly sliced
1 handful of Thai basil
1 handful of coriander
4 tbsp pounded smoked fish
1 tbsp each of black and white sesame seeds
Extra black and white sesame seeds, toasted for garnish

For the dressing

1 tbsp each of black and white sesame seeds, toasted
250ml coconut cream
1.5 tbsp palm sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt to taste

Method

Marinate bell peppers in sunflower oil, pepper and salt for about 20 minutes. Grill peppers on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes on both sides and set aside to cool. You eat the skin in this dish so do not burn it. Whisk all dressing ingredients together and keep in fridge. Place peppers in bowl, then add half the shallots, basil, coriander, smoked fish, sesame seeds and the dressing. Mix gently using two spoons. Divide salad between four plates, top with remaining shallots and some toasted black and white sesame seeds.

If you don’t like the skin of peppers, grill or roast them until the skin is blackened and then place in a bowl, cover with plastic and leave for a few minutes. The skin will then easily peel off.

Crispy Rice Dumplings with Banana and Palm Sugar Syrup
Makes 12 small dumplings, for 4 serves

A favourite with children of all ages, sweet and sticky rice dumplings are a feel-good food of Cambodia and a perfect way to end the meal. Ingredients like home-made palm sugar are typical of Cambodian cottage industry and can be bought from street vendors throughout Phnom Penh (or from your local Asian grocery store).

Ingredients

300g steamed sticky rice, cooled
8 tbsp fresh coconut, shredded
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp each of black and white sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
Pinch of salt
4 baby bananas, each cut into 3 pieces
Sunflower oil for deep frying
8 tbsp palm sugar syrup, for garnish
Sesame seeds, extra

Method

To make dough, mix sticky rice with coconut, white sugar, sesame seeds and salt. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape into pieces about the size of large coins and put one piece of banana in each centre. Shape into small dumplings and make sure the dough is sealed. Let rest for 10 minutes in the fridge. Deep fry dumplings on medium heat for 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and serve topped with palm sugar syrup and extra sesame seeds.

This dessert tastes incredible as is, but can be raised to gourmet standards with an exotic coconut sorbet and slivers of red chillies – an earthy cuisine, all grown up.

Where to find out more

Planning a trip to Cambodia? Visit the restaurant. Set in an authentically decorated house and garden, Romdeng is open seven days a week from 11am to 9pm and can cater for up to 160 people. Romdeng: #21, Street 278, Phnom Penh (Tel:+ 855 92 219 565)

Unlike any other cookbook available, From Spiders to Water Lilies is a unique journey of cuisine and culture. In it you will find 160 pages of mouth-watering traditional recipes, exquisite photography and inspiring stories from one of Asia’s most fascinating countries, Cambodia. All proceeds from the sale of From Spiders to Water Lilies go directly back to Friends-International projects. It can be purchased for $45 at www.cambodiancooking.com.au.

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