Salted Crab Coconut Curry

រូបមន្តធ្វើក្តាមប្រៃខ្ទិ

By Sokhuon Ou | 40 minutes

រូបមន្តធ្វើដោយ សុខហួន អ៊ូ

This year, Khmer Maine has been developing salted crab (Kdam Prai) with invasive green crab harvested by Quahog Bay Conservancy, Jesse Roche, and Neil Stanton. Traditionally made with rice paddy crab, the salted green crab is marinated in fish sauce and aromatics for two days, which deepens the flavor of the crab and slightly softens the shell. After years of facilitating green crab donations to Maine’s Khmer community, Khmer Maine realized that most popular people were creating Kdam Prai, preferring this local invasive crab species to store-bought versions. After landing a USDA Business Builder Grant, Khmer Maine dove into exploratory product development with GreenCrab.org and CEI. To kick off sample distribution, Sokhuon Ou developed this Salted Crab Coconut Curry recipe and served it at SEAFest: a vibrant celebration of Southeast Asian heritage, Khmer Maine hosts each year. 

“This wasn’t just about food; it was about memory, connection, and reclaiming a relationship with Maine’s coastal environment.” - Marpheen Chann, Executive Director of Khmer Maine 

Sokhuon Ou demonstrates how to clean salted crab and hands out samples at Khmer Maine’s SEAFest

Blog: Khmer Maine’s Kdam Prai Project Utilizes Invasive Green Crab

Learn more about Khmer Maine’s Salted Crab

Civil Eats: Maine’s Cambodian Community Aims to Keep Invasive Green Crabs at Bay

Learn more about Khmer Maine’s Salted Crab

Salted Crab Coconut Curry Sampling at SEAFest

Ingredients

  • ~1 lb of salted crab

  • 3 or 4 dried whole red peppers

  • 1 bulb of garlic (8-10 cloves)

  • ½ pound of shallots

  • 1 can of coconut milk

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon of chicken broth powder

How to Prepare:

  1. Wash the salted crabs thoroughly, trim off the tips of the legs, remove the abdomen, carapace, eyes, mouth, and gills, and then put the carapace and body back together tightly.

  2. Rehydrate the dried peppers by soaking. Then chop, and grind into a paste with the garlic and shallots using a mortar and pestle or food processor. Use only half the shallots for this step, and slice the rest for later.

  3. On medium heat, pour half of the coconut milk into the pot and add the paste, sugar, and chicken broth powder. Stir well until fully dissolved. Add the salted crabs, pour in the remaining coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Wait until it boils before adding the remaining sliced ​​red onion.

  4. When it reaches a boil, bring it down to simmer, taste it and add more spices or coconut milk, if needed. If it tastes great, turn off the heat and take it off the stove immediately. Don't leave it for too long on the stove.

  5. Serve with jasmine rice.

រូបមន្តធ្វើដោយ សុខហួន អ៊ូ

រូបមន្តធ្វើក្តាមប្រៃខ្ទិះ

គ្រឿងផ្សំ ៖

  • ក្តាមប្រៃ 1 ផោនជាង

  • ម្ទេសឆ្អើរ 3 ឬ 4 ផ្លែ

  • ខ្ទឹមស 1 មើម

  • ខ្ទឹមក្រហម ½ (កន្លះ) ផោន

  • ខ្ទិះដូង 1 កំប៉ុង

  • ស្ករ 2 ស្លាបព្រាបាយ

  • ម៉្សៅស៊ុបខ្នរ 1 ស្លាបព្រាកាហ្វេ

វិធីចម្អិន ៖

  • យកក្តាមប្រៃមកលាងទឹកឲស្អាត ហើយកាត់ចុងម្រាមជើងចោល បកស្រទះពោះ សំបកស្នូក និង យកស្រកីេចញឲស្អាត រួចគ្របស្នូកចូលវិញឲជិត

  • ត្រាំម្ទេសឆ្អើរ យកទៅចិញ្រ្ចាំ រួចបុកលាយជាមួយខ្ទឹមស និងខ្ទឹមក្រហម តែទុកខ្ទឹមក្រហមពាក់កណ្តាលសំរាប់ហាន់ជាចំណិតសំរាប់ដាក់នៅពេលក្រោយ

  • ចាក់ខ្ទិះដូងបន្តិចចូលក្នុងខ្ទះ រួចដាក់គ្រឿងបុកចូល កូរឲសព្វ ដាក់ស្ករ និង ម៉្សៅស៊ុបខ្នរ ដាក់ក្តាមប្រៃចូល ហើយចាក់ខ្ទិះដូងដែលនៅសល់ទាំងអស់ចូល ចាំពេលវាពុះទើបបង់ខ្ទឹមក្រហមដែលចិតជាចំណិតចូល

  • ភ្លក់មើល បើស្ទើរអ្វីថែមនឹង បើល្មមហើយបិទភ្លើងចង្ក្រាន ហើយលើកវាចេញពីភ្លើងភ្លាម កុំទុកយូរ។

  • ញុំជាមួយបាយផ្កាម្លិះ