Somlor Machu Kreung Ktih Sach Chrook

Somlor Machu Kreung Ktih Sach Chrook – Flavorful Cambodian pork rib and beef tendon braised coconut with water spinach, lemon grass paste and ripe tamarind. A combination of nutty and tangy taste.

Ingredients:
Khmer water spinach  (trokuon)
pork ribs, cut in pieces 
ripe tamarind or tamarind powder
Chicken flavored broth or chicken broth cube
fish sauce
salt
cooking oil
coconut milk
prohok (fermented fish)
Mreas Prov (holy basil)
beef tendon (optional)
Lemon grass paste – Kreung
Making Kreung: (Lemon grass paste)
1) Remove seeds from dried chili and soak in water until soft.  Squeeze the water out. Then mince it.
2) Thinly cut lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galanga, tumeric root, garlic and  fresh shallots
*Pound  # 1 & 2 well together  in a (Cambodian) mortar or grind them in the blender.
**Extract tamarind: Put water and ripe tamarind together and bring to first boil. Smash it with a ladle or spoon to release the sourness. Then drain and keep it for later use. Separate trokuon leaves from the stalk. Then wash well. Drain it and keep it for later use.
Preparation:
A) In medium high heat, add cooking oil in a pot, then add Kreung, a little bit of fish sauce and salt. Cook for about 7 or until Kreung is a little dry. Then add coconut milk. Stir well, cook the coconut milk until thick. B )Add pork ribs. Stir well  until the meat is cooked. Then add beef tendon, prohok. Add water and loosely cover and let it boil until the meat is tender.C) Add trokuon stalk. Cook until soft then add tamarind extract or powder, stir and add trokuon leaves.
More or less salt, sugar, chicken flavored broth or cube… adjust your taste!
*Serve hot and top with mreah prov (holy basil).
**Note**
-In case you can’t find ripe tamarind, you may use tamarind powder made by KNOR. It’s more convenient. And if you are using tamarind powder, you do not need to use chicken flavored broth or chicken cube since both have the MSG base. 
-Beef tendon (optional). If you’d like, in a separate pot, slow cook it for hours until translucent and tender. Then slice cube and add  it to the soup (see letter B).

This is my Cambodian Recipes for you.
Enjoy! (: