On’tong char kreoung.
(Spicy eel.)

Back home, many Khmer Krom villagers don’t have refrigerator to stores foods for cooking on big occasions like New Year or Bon Pchum ben(Ancestors memorial day). Many families would keep live fish, crab, eel and sometime frog in large clay pot or large bucket with some water for cooking during these special occasions. My dad said I used to eat spicy eel with rice, because I thought I was eating Asian catfish (trey naing). But I stopped eat eel since I was 6 years old. I remember that year, a few days before New Year, I went in the kitchen and spots several mystery buckets line up against the kitchen wall. Curiously I lifted one of the lids up to take a peek, and almost die when I saw all these eels wiggling inside. I threw the lid and ran, and left the bucket wide open. Luckily my aunt saw what I did; she jumped up and closed the lid before these eels got out. I don’t eat eel ever since, but if you clean and cut eel; I’ll cook for you. :)
Delicious eel with hot spicy lemon grass and turmeric is Khmer ethnic food.

• Ingredients :
  • 2 Large eel,or 1 package already cleaned frozen eel(sold at most Asian markets)
  • ½ Cup baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 Cloves garlic,minced
  • 1 Yellow onion,sliced
  • ¼ Cup fresh or frozen minced lemon grass
  • ½ Teaspoon turmeric powder, or 1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric roots
  • 6 Chopped hot chili pepper or to your taste(option)
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • ½ Tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 Cup water
• Procedures :
  Cleaned eel with baking soda, rinsed with cold water, drained and cut chunks bite sizes, set a side.
  Pre-heat a skillet or wok in high temperature.
  When skillet hot add oil, garlic, onion, lemon grass, turmeric, chili pepper and eel, stirs well.
  Seasoning with fish sauce, sugar, salt and black pepper.
  Add water and simmering till eel meat tender.
  Serve hot with rice.