Samlor Korko (Cambodian Stirring Soup)

About This Recipe

Samlor korko (samlor meaning 'soup,' korko meaning 'to stir') is one of the oldest continuously documented dishes in Cambodian cuisine, its origins traced to the kitchens of the Angkor empire and considered a symbol of Khmer identity. The technique gives it its name: the soup must be stirred almost continuously throughout cooking so the kroeung paste, prahok (fermented fish paste), and vegetables integrate fully into the broth without any single element dominating. The result is a humble but deeply flavorful soup — earthy and slightly funky from prahok, fragrant from lemongrass and galangal, sweet from the seasonal vegetables (pumpkin, eggplant, banana blossom, or whatever the garden offers), and savory from pork. Samlor korko is the soup that Cambodian families come home to, cooked in large pots for gatherings, and eaten at every life event from weddings to merit-making ceremonies at Buddhist pagodas.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gpork ribs or pork belly, cut into pieces
• 1.5 literswater
• 200 gpumpkin or kabocha squash, cubed
• 200 geggplant, cubed
• 100 gbanana blossom or green jackfruit, roughly chopped
• 100 glong beans, cut into 4cm pieces
• 50 gyoung coconut flesh or palm heart, sliced (optional)
• 3 stalkslemongrass, bruised
• 3 cmfresh galangal, sliced
• 2 cmfresh turmeric
• 4shallots
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 1.5 tbspprahok (Cambodian fermented fish paste)(or 1 tsp shrimp paste)
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tsppalm sugar
• 2kaffir lime leaves
• fresh herbsmint, lemongrass tips, and rice paddy herb for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Make kroeung paste

   Pound or blend lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, shallots, garlic, and kaffir lime leaves into a rough paste.

2. 2

   Start the broth

   Place pork in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Skim any foam. Add kroeung paste and prahok. Stir well to combine. Reduce to a medium simmer.

   Stirring the prahok into the broth rather than adding it whole distributes its flavor evenly and prevents pockets of intense fishiness.

3. 3

   Add firm vegetables

   Add pumpkin and banana blossom after 15 minutes. These take longest to cook.

4. 4

   Stir continuously

   Stir the soup every few minutes — this is the korko technique. It blends the paste into the broth evenly and is not optional.

5. 5

   Add tender vegetables

   Add eggplant, long beans, and palm heart after another 15 minutes. Cook 10-12 more minutes until all vegetables are tender and pork is cooked through.

6. 6

   Season and serve

   Add fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste — the soup should be earthy, savory, and gently aromatic. Serve with steamed rice and fresh herbs on top.

Variations

• •

  Chicken samlor korko: replace pork with chicken thighs for a lighter version.

• •

  Vegetarian samlor korko: omit pork and prahok; use mushroom broth and miso paste for umami.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the flavor deepens. Reheat on the stovetop — add a splash of water as broth concentrates on storage.

Frequently Asked Questions