Dish
Cha Kroeung Sach Moan
Cambodian street-food stir-fry of chicken marinated in yellow kroeung with onion, bell peppers and basil.
Cha Kroeung Sach Moan (ឆាគ្រឿងសាច់មាន) is a Cambodian street-food stir-fry of chicken marinated in yellow kroeung with onion, bell peppers and basil.[1][2] In the name, cha means stir-fry, kroeung (គ្រឿង) is the lemongrass spice paste and sach moan means chicken.[2] The dish is also written chha kroeung sach moan and cha kreung satch moan, and in English it is often called lemongrass chicken stir-fry.[1][3][4]
Cultural context
Cha kroeung (ឆាគ្រឿង) is the wider family of Cambodian stir-fries of meat and vegetables marinated in yellow kroeung.[5] Recipes give a choice of beef, pork or chicken, and the dish is eaten with steamed rice.[1] Cha kroeung sach moan is the chicken version. It is a popular street food and is also cooked at home.[1] Cambodia Flavours calls it a staple in Cambodian households.[2] Markets, small eateries and some restaurants with table service sell it.[6]
In Siem Reap, a simple local eatery at Wat Bo Road and Street 27 once offered chha kroeung with a choice of beef, pork or chicken.[1]
In Brooklyn, Chinchakriya Un made the dish with her mother, Kim. In Cambodia, Kim had learned these dishes from her own mother, and she kept making them from memory after she came to the United States as a refugee.[3] Serious Eats calls Un's pop-up, Kreung, a gathering space that keeps Cambodian flavors from being lost.[3] Its recipe, published in June 2019 in the Resetting the Table series, is only slightly adjusted from the version Un and Kim cooked in their backyard.[3]
Channy Laux, whose company Angkor Cambodian Food makes a kroeung sold as Angkor Lemongrass Paste, counts the dish among her most popular recipes.[7] Her paste blends lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, onion and chili with fish sauce, sugar, sea salt, canola oil, water and lime juice concentrate.[7]
Ingredients and preparation
Kroeung is part of a wider Khmer tradition of freshly pounded herb and spice pastes that are the base of many dishes.[5] Turmeric and lemongrass give yellow kroeung its color, and the paste is also used in soups, stews and marinades.[5] Cambodian cooks use several kinds of kroeung, including yellow, green, red, k'tis and saraman pastes, each tied to different dishes.[5] Pastes for stir-fries often combine makrut lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, ginger and fresh herbs, with the amounts adjusted to the dish.[3] The Serious Eats version is colored green by a kroeung of makrut lime leaf and lemongrass.[3]
The paste may be pounded in a mortar from lemongrass, shallots, galangal, turmeric, garlic and lime leaves, or made in a food processor or with a stick blender.[8] Cooking the kroeung before the other ingredients releases the oils in the aromatics and deepens their flavor.[3] In a wok, the chicken is cooked in two batches so the pan stays hot enough for the meat to sear rather than steam.[3] Salt, fish sauce and chicken bouillon go into the wok one after another, which builds layers of savory flavor.[3] Some recent versions add sliced jalapeños at the very end so they stay crisp and bright.[3] Holy basil or Thai basil brings freshness and balance to the strong flavors.[3]
The Grantourismo recipe cuts chicken thigh fillets into pieces 3 to 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long and marinates them in yellow kroeung and a little oil for 30 minutes to an hour.[1] The peppers are stir-fried until they just begin to soften. The chicken then cooks with the rest of the paste, fish sauce and sugar, and the onion and peppers go back in for another minute.[1] It is garnished with finely sliced kaffir lime leaves or Cambodian or Thai basil and eaten with steamed rice.[1]
The Angkor Cambodian Food recipe, credited to Chef Channy, cooks coarsely chopped chicken thigh until it is mostly dry, brown and crisp at the edges. It is seasoned with the lemongrass paste, prahok (ប្រហុក) sauce or fish sauce, and the company's Machu Kroeung Spice.[4][9] Fresno chili goes in next, the wok is taken off the heat and loosened with cornstarch water, and hot basil and onion are stirred through. The dish is finished with roasted peanuts and served with steamed rice.[9]
Regional and household variations
Prahok, the fermented fish paste, can stand in for fish sauce in the Angkor Cambodian Food recipe.[4] One home cook stirs in pre-blanched long beans or French beans a minute or two after the chicken.[8] Other recipes treat fermented fish as optional.[3] The Grantourismo version uses garlic, white onion and green and red bell peppers, and finishes with sliced kaffir lime leaves or fresh basil.[1] Several recipes add holy basil in the wok.[3][4][8] Thai basil may replace holy basil.[3]
The same dish is made with beef, pork or only vegetables.[1] The beef version is called chha kroeung sach ko.[1] Cambodia Flavours also gives cha kroeung sach chrouk with pork belly or tenderloin, cha kroeung sach trey with a firm fish such as catfish or tilapia, and a vegan version with tofu or mushrooms and no shrimp paste.[2] Kroeung also works as a base for lamb and seafood.[8]
Heat varies. One version eaten in Phnom Penh was very spicy, and the chilies can be reduced or left out.[8] Where hot basil is hard to find, the Angkor recipe suggests oregano at half the amount or less, curry leaves, spinach or kale, and a red bell pepper in place of the chili for a milder dish.[9] Some household cooks use chicken breast for a fast stir-fry, while others prefer thigh meat.[8] Home cooks adapt the dish to the produce they have, so it changes with the season and the region.[6] The paste may be pounded by hand from fresh ingredients or made in an electric blender, so the same Khmer flavor base can be made in many kinds of kitchens.[5][8] Suggested dishes to serve alongside include Nhoam Svay, the Cambodian mango salad, and Samlor Machu Kroeung.[2]
Preparations and recipes
- Grantourismo
- Chicken thigh marinated in Khmer yellow kroeung, stir-fried with onion and bell peppers and finished with kaffir lime leaf and basil.
References 9
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Grantourismo
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cambodia Flavours, Cha Kroeung Sach Moan Recipe: A Flavorful Cambodian Stir-Fry (2025-03-10)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Serious Eats, Cha Kreung Satch Moan (Cambodian Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry) Recipe
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Angkor Cambodian Food, Cha Kroeung Sach Moan (2025-12-17)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Grantourismo Travels, Cambodian Recipes to Learn to Cook from Amok ... (2020-08-01)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Enjoy Vietnam Travel, Khmer chicken dishes: six classic recipes (2026-07-28)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Phnom Penh Post, Award winning taste: Cambodian refugee wowing US with sauces (2025-02-14)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Cook Eat World, Cha Kroeung Sach Moan (Cambodian Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry) (2020-12-07)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Angkor Cambodian Food, Cha Kroeung Sach Moan (2025-12-17)
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