Samlar Machu Kreung – Cambodian Sour Stew
A Cambodia dinner made with chicken. Ready in about 56 minutes. Difficulty: medium.
- 26 minPrep (about)
- 30 minCook (about)
- 56 minTotal time
- 4Servings
- MediumDifficulty
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Join the waitlist Not nowIngredients
Main ingredient
- 1 ¼ lb chicken thighs
Fresh & other
- 5 cups water
- 2 ½ tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 ¼ cups pineapple chunk
- 1 ¼ cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups green beans
- 1 lemongrass
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 chile Shopping tip: Fresno or jalapeño for mild (seeds out); Thai bird's eye or serrano for hot.
Sauces & oils
- 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
How to make it
Steps in our own plain words.
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Heat 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil in a big pot over medium-high heat till it shimmers, about 1 minute, 2.
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Add 1 lb boneless, chicken thighs to the pot.
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Cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking, 3.
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Pour 5 cups water into the pot.
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Bring to a boil.
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Turn the heat down to a simmer, 4.
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Stir in 1 ¼ tsp sugar, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce and 2 ½ tbsp tamarind paste until fully dissolved, about 1 minute, 5.
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Add 1 stalk lemongrass plus 3 kaffir limes leaves to the pot.
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Cover.
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Simmer for 10 min to infuse the broth with flavor, 6.
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Tip: Bruising your lemongrass before adding helps its essential oils for more aromatic stew, 7.
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Add 1 ¼ cups green beans, 1 ¼ cups cherry tomatoes and 1 ¼ cups pineapple chunks to the pot.
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Stir to mix, 8.
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Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, till your green beans are tender still crisp plus the tomatoes start to soften, 9.
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Tip: Avoid overcooking your vegetables to maintain their vibrant color plus texture in the final dish, 10.
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Stir in 1 Thai chili.
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Simmer for an more 2 minutes to mixed in the heat, 11.
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Tip: Taste your broth plus adjust using extra tamarind paste or fish sauce if wanted, but do so gradually to avoid overpowering your balance, 12.
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Remove your pot from heat plus discard your lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves before serving.
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Present your stew hot in bowls, optionally garnished using fresh herbs like cilantro.
On the side: Crusty bread
A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.
How to make it (5 min)
- Slice the bread. Warm it in the oven for 5 minutes if you like.
More chicken recipes
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Join the waitlistRecipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.