Cambodia Recipe: Crispy fried fish with ginger and fermented soybeans (trey chien chuon)

Crispy fried fish with ginger and fermented soybeans (Trey Chien Chuon), is a traditional Cambodian dish. The fermented soybeans give the dish an aromatic, salty flavor, while the ginger adds a spicy, refreshing taste.

All the ingredients should be available in your local grocery store, except for the fermented soybeans, and maybe the tempura flour, which you would probably need to look for in an Asian supermarket.

The fish used for the recipe is a white, freshwater fish, which is cut into pieces and then fried until crispy and golden brown. The dish is typically served as part of a meal, along with a soup, such as Ngam Ngov (soup with pickled lime), steamed white rice, and a dipping sauce made with garlic and chili.

Recipe and notes by Linda Meas, Meas Family Homestay

Linda is also runs the social businesses Weavers Project and Taeko in Takeo, Cambodia.

Ginger: If you don’t have a julienne peeler, you can cut the ginger into fine strips using a regular kitchen knife.

Fish: In the video, I am using a freshwater fish caught locally, but you can use any kind of white fish. If you are using a smaller fish, it can be fried whole, but if you are using a larger fish, you would need to cut it into smaller pieces. I dredge the fish in very little tempura flower. You shouldn’t be able to taste the flour. The flour is just added so that the fish does not stick to the frying pan, and so that the fish pieces do not fall apart.

Fermented soy beans: Should be possible to find in Asian grocery stores or online shops. The brand I am using is called “UFC Salted Soybean”. Some soybeans are bottled in a very salty brine, and if that is the case, you might need to wash the soybeans before adding them to the dish, or the dish might get too salty.

Recipe: Cambodian crispy fried fish with ginger and fermented soybeans (trey chien chuon)

Recipe by Linda – Meas Family Homestay

Course: MainCuisine: Cambodia

Servings

4

servings

Crispy fried fish with ginger and fermented soybeans (Trey Chien Chuon), is a traditional Cambodian dish. The fermented soybeans give the dish an aromatic, salty flavor, while the ginger adds a spicy, refreshing taste.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups julienne ginger (cut into fine strips)

• 1 lb fish

• 2 tablespoons tempura flour

• 1-2 cups oil for frying

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 bottle (850g) salted/fermented soy beans

• ¼- ½ tablespoon sugar (if the soybeans are very salty)

• ½ cup water

• 2-3 spring onions

Directions

• Fry the ginger in plenty of oil until golden and slightly crispy. Set aside for later.
• Cut the fish into strips. Dredge the fish in a very thin layer of tempura flour.
• Fry the fish in plenty of oil until golden brown and crispy. You can use the same oil as you were using to fry the ginger.
• Crush the garlic and chop it into small pieces. Chop the spring onion.
• Drain the soybeans using a colander. If you are using salted beans (soybeans in a very salty brine), you need to wash the beans in water before you add them to the dish.
• Add a tablespoon of oil to a deep pan or a large pot, and sauté the garlic until slightly golden.
• Add the soybeans and stir fry for a few minutes. If the soybeans are very salty, add ¼- ½ tablespoon sugar to balance the flavor.
• Add water and fry for a minute.
• Just before serving, stir in the fried ginger, the spring onion, and the crispy fish. Serve with steamed rice.

Recipe Video