Recipe
Samlor Machu Trey (recipe)
Bone-in freshwater fish poached in a tamarind broth with lemongrass, galangal, tomato and water spinach.
This recipe for Samlor Machu Trey, a Cambodian sour fish soup in a tamarind broth, follows the version published by CambodgeMag in July 2026.[1] In Khmer the soup is written សម្លរម្ជូរត្រី.[2] It is an everyday family dish rather than a festive one, made across Cambodia from whatever the day's market offers.[1]
The fish is usually a freshwater kind such as snakehead or catfish, cooked on the bone to enrich the clear, coconut-free broth. Tamarind pulp traditionally gives the sourness. Prahok, the fermented fish paste, is sometimes stirred in for depth but remains optional. The recipe serves four.[1]
Ingredients
- 600 g snakehead fish or catfish, cleaned and cut into thick bone-in chunks
- 1.5 l water or light fish stock
- 3 tbsp tamarind pulp, soaked in warm water and strained, or tamarind paste
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into long sections
- 20 g galangal, thinly sliced
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks, optional, for sweetness
- 2 fresh red chilies, sliced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tsp prahok, optional
- 2 cups water spinach (morning glory), cut into segments
- A handful of Thai basil leaves
- A handful of cilantro and sawtooth herb (ngo gai), roughly chopped[1]
Method
- Simmer the water or stock with the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, garlic and shallots for about ten minutes to infuse the aromatics.
- Stir in the tamarind and the prahok, if using, and adjust until the broth has a clean, tangy sourness.
- Add the fish and cook it gently until just cooked through, about eight minutes, keeping the broth below a rolling boil so the fish stays tender.
- Add the tomatoes, the pineapple if using, and the chili, and simmer for five minutes until the tomatoes soften slightly.
- Season with fish sauce and palm sugar to balance sour, salty and sweet.
- Add the water spinach and cook until just wilted, one to two minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the herbs and serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.[1]
Some cooks add pineapple for sweetness; others keep the soup purely sour with tamarind alone.[1]