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Khmer pickled vegetables
Chrouk (ជ្រក់): crunchy green papaya, carrot and cucumber in a sweet, sharp rice vinegar brine
Cambodian cooks keep a jar of chrouk in the fridge the way others keep ketchup. These quick pickles of green papaya, carrot, cucumber and a little ginger come on the side of broken-rice breakfasts in Phnom Penh, with grilled food at night markets and tucked into num pang baguettes, adding crunch and a sweet-sour snap to anything rich or smoky. The brine is simply rice vinegar, sugar and salt, which keeps the vegetables pale and crisp. Pouring the brine on boiling hot is the classic slip: it softens the cucumber and dulls the colours. Chef's tip: salt the papaya and carrot for 15 minutes and squeeze them before jarring; they stay crunchy for a week instead of turning floppy by day two.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 10 ½ oz green papayapeeled, deseeded and cut into thin strips or slices
- 2 carrotscut into thin batons
- 2 small cucumbershalved, deseeded and sliced 5 mm thick
- ½ oz fresh gingercut into fine matchsticks
- 2 red bird's eye chillies (optional)halved lengthways
- 1 tsp salt
For the brine
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- 3 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put ¾ cup rice vinegar, ¾ cup water, 3 ⅛ oz sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a small pan over a medium heat. Stir for 2–3 minutes, just until the sugar and salt dissolve; do not boil it hard.
3 minStep 2: Take the brine off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Stand the pan in cold water to speed it up.
20 minStep 3: Meanwhile, toss 10 ½ oz green papaya and 2 carrots with 1 tsp salt in a bowl and leave for 15 minutes, until they soften slightly and release some liquid.
15 minStep 4: Squeeze the papaya and carrot firmly in handfuls to remove the liquid, then rinse briefly and pat dry.
Step 5: Mix them with 2 small cucumbers, ½ oz fresh ginger and 2 red bird's eye chillies, and pack into a clean 1-litre jar.
Step 6: Pour over the cooled brine until the vegetables are submerged, pressing them down with a spoon. Seal the jar.
Step 7: Chill for at least 1 hour before eating, or overnight for a deeper flavour. The vegetables should taste sweet and tangy and still snap when you bite.
60 minStep 8: Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, always using a clean fork. Drain a small heap onto the plate to serve alongside grilled, fried or rice dishes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khmer pickled vegetables take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of small cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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