A hearty chicken curry with creamy coconut milk and the warmth of lemongrass and turmeric.
Known in Phnom Penh as somlar kari. The spice base is Indian-rooted (arrived via Malay maritime trade and South Indian traders, 17th–19th c.), the coconut and lemongrass layer is local Khmer, and the baguette habit dates to French colonization (1863–1953). Three traditions stacked, not blended — each layer dates to a specific arrival.
Phnom Penh somlar kari — three traditions stacked: Indian spice base via 17th–19th-century Malay/Tamil traders, Khmer coconut-lemongrass layer, French-colonial baguette habit (1863–1953). The kroeung must fry in coconut cream until oil splits red-orange.
Bone-in chicken in a yellow-orange coconut sauce, thinner than Thai curry and lighter on chili. Lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and kaffir lime leaf carry the aroma; sweet potato or taro thickens the broth as it simmers. Eaten with a baguette torn for dipping — a French colonial habit that stuck. The sauce should taste of root spice, not heat.
The kroeung — a wet pounded paste of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, garlic, shallot, kaffir lime zest — has to be fried in coconut cream until the oil splits red-orange before stock goes in. This step (called 'cracking the cream') roasts the aromatics in their own oil. Skip it and the curry tastes raw and grassy no matter how long you simmer.
Variations
Phnom Penh wedding version (whole bone-in chicken, sweet potato thickener); Battambang families use river fish in the same sauce; Siem Reap restaurant version is sweeter for tourists; Khmer Krom border versions add more lemongrass and less coconut.
On the Palate
Where Khmer Chicken Curry sits in the Cambodian flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 15 min
- 160 min
Marinate chicken with lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric.
- 25 min
In a pot, heat coconut milk and add the marinated chicken.
Watch outLet the coconut milk come to a gentle bubble and reduce a little before the chicken settles in — you want it thickening and the oil beginning to surface, not a thin watery pot.
- 35 min
Add sweet potatoes, kaffir lime leaves, and fish sauce.
- 415 min
Simmer until chicken is tender and the flavors meld.
Watch outSimmer low and steady until the sweet potato is fork-soft and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon — rushing it on high heat toughens the chicken before the flavors marry.
- 52 min
Adjust seasoning with palm sugar and serve hot.
Watch outAdd palm sugar a little at a time and taste — you're chasing a round balance where sweet, salty and sour all show but none shouts.
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