Cambodian Green Pork Curry

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If you love Thai green curry but fancy trying something just a little different, you are going to love this Cambodian green pork curry.

This is comfort food at its finest. Fragrant green kroeung paste, creamy coconut milk, tender pork and vegetables gently simmered together until everything is beautifully infused with flavour. It’s aromatic rather than fiery, rich but not heavy, and incredibly satisfying.

Like many Cambodian curries, this one is all about balance and freshness. It isn’t designed to blow your head off with chillies. Instead, it wraps you up in layers of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and kaffir lime. The result is a curry that feels both light and luxurious at the same time.

Cambodian green pork curry in a serving bowl with French bread.

What Is Cambodian Green Curry?

In Cambodia, curry is deeply influenced by local ingredients and centuries of trade. Cambodian green curry is built around green kroeung, a fresh herb paste made with:

Lemongrass
Galangal
Fresh turmeric
Garlic
Shallots
Kaffir lime zest
Green chillies (usually mild)

Unlike Thai green curry, Cambodian versions are typically:

Less spicy
Slightly thicker
More herb-forward
Often served with rice noodles or even baguette

The curry is commonly made with chicken or fish, but pork is a fantastic choice. When cooked properly, it becomes tender and flavourful while absorbing all those fragrant spices.

Ingredients

Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this Cambodian Green Pork Curry recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the recipe card at the end of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin.

See recipe card for quantities.

Lemongrass stalks
Garlic
Shallots
Galangal
Fresh turmeric or 1 tsp ground
Zest of 1 kaffir lime or lime
Mild Green chillies
Salt
Shrimp paste (optional but traditional)
Pork shoulder, cut into chunks
Neutral oil
Full-fat coconut milk
Water or light stock
Aubergine (or Thai eggplants), chopped
Sweet potato, cubed
Carrot, sliced
Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn
Fish sauce
Palm sugar
Thai basil (optional but nice addition)

Step by step photos

Below, you’ll see step-by-step photographs to guide you through this Cambodian Green Pork Curry recipe. At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find the full recipe card, which includes the complete list of ingredients and written instructions in an easy, printable format.

The paste ingredients ready to blend to a paste in a blender.

Step 1: Pour all the paste ingredients into a food processor and blend to a smooth, thick paste. You can add a drop of water to assist blending if needed.

Starting to fry the green paste in a pan.

Step 2: Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the green kroeung paste and fry gently for 5–7 minutes until fragrant. Don’t rush this step! Properly cooking the paste makes all the difference.

Step 3: As you gently cook the paste, a lot of the moisture will evaporate and it will look like this.

Adding some of the coconut milk to the pan.

Step 4: Add about half the coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes. You may see the oil begin to separate slightly. That’s good but if you don’t all is still fine.

Adding the kaffir lime leaves to the sauce.

Step 5: Add kaffir lime leaves and bring to a gentle simmer.

Adding the pork and remaining coconut milk and stock or water to the pan.

Step 6: Add the pork shoulder pieces and stir to coat. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and water or stock.

Adding the carrots and sweet potato to the pan.

Step 7: Now add the sweet potato and carrot and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes until the pork is tender, the vegetables are cooked but not mushy and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Adding the aubergine and pushing it right down into the sauce.

Step 8: Add the aubergine once the carrots and sweet potatoes are al dente.

Pouring fish sauce into the curry for seasoning.

Step 9: Pour in some fish sauce to season and give the curry a savoury flavour.

Stirring in the basil and also garnishing with the basil.

Step 10: Garnish with the basil. You can stir it in too.

What do you serve with Cambodian Green Pork Curry?

It's traditionally served with:

Steamed jasmine rice
Rice noodles
Crusty baguette (thanks to French influence)

Keep sides simple — this curry does the talking.

Variations

Chicken Version: Swap pork for bone-in chicken thighs.

Beef Version: Use chuck and simmer longer until tender.

Vegetarian Option: Use tofu and mushrooms. Replace fish sauce with soy sauce.

Extra Green and Fresh: Add green beans or courgettes in the final 10 minutes.

Spicier Version: Add extra green chillies or a spoon of Thai green curry paste.

Useful Equipment

Heavy-based pot: A good heavy pot prevents coconut milk from scorching.
Mortar and pestle (traditional method)
Food processor (shortcut)
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Microplane for zesting

Storage and Reheating

Storage

Cool completely before storing.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Freezing

Freeze up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in fridge.

Reheating

Avoid boiling hard to prevent splitting. Reheat gently over medium-low heat and add a splash of water or coconut milk if too thick.

Top Tip

Cook the kroeung paste (green paste) properly.

Most people rush this step. Frying the paste slowly until fragrant removes rawness and unlocks its full aromatic potential. It transforms the curry from good to exceptional.

Also, keep the simmer gentle. Coconut milk does not like aggressive boiling.

What I hope you take away about this curry...

Cambodian green pork curry is one of those dishes that quietly surprises you. It isn’t flashy or fiery. It doesn’t rely on overwhelming spice. Instead, it delivers balance, fragrance and comfort.

Using pork shoulder gives you rich, tender meat that soaks up all that beautiful green kroeung. The result is deeply satisfying without being heavy.

If you enjoy Southeast Asian flavours but prefer something milder than Thai green curry, this is the one to try next.

Give it a go, take your time with the paste, and let those flavours develop slowly.

Once you’ve made it, you might just find yourself adding Cambodian curry night into your regular rotation.

FAQ

What if you can't find galangal?

Use ginger as a substitute, though the flavour won’t be quite as authentic.

Is Cambodian Green Pork Curry spicy?

Not traditionally. It’s aromatic and mild. You can increase chillies if you prefer heat.

Can you make Cambodian Green Pork curry ahead of time:

Absolutely. In fact, it tastes even better the next day.

Can you use shop-bough Thai green curry paste?

You can, but it will taste different — hotter and more aggressive. Cambodian green kroeung is fresher and less chilli-heavy.

Can you make this curry without shrimp paste?

Yes. It will still be delicious. Add a little extra fish sauce for depth.

Looking for other recipes like this? These curries might just hit the spot!

Have you tried this Cambodian Green Pork Curry recipe?

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Yield: 4 to 6

Cambodian Pork Green Curry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE GREEN KROEUNG PASTE
3 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
5 cloves garlic
3 shallots
1 thumb-sized piece galangal
1 thumb-sized piece fresh turmeric
Zest of 1 kaffir lime
2–4 mild green chillies
½ tsp salt
1 tsp shrimp paste (optional but traditional)
FOR THE CURRY
1 kg pork shoulder, cut into chunks
2 tbsp neutral oil
800 ml full-fat coconut milk
400 ml water or light stock
1 aubergine (or Thai eggplants), chopped
1 large sweet potato, cubed
1 carrot, sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
1–2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp palm sugar
Handful Thai basil (optional but nice addition)

Instructions

The paste is traditionally pounded in a pestle and mortar which will take you about an hour. For ease, I recommend using a food processor. Pour all the paste ingredients into a food processor and blend to a smooth, thick paste. You can add a drop of water to assist blending if needed.
Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the green kroeung paste and fry gently for 5–7 minutes until fragrant. Don’t rush this step! Properly cooking the paste makes all the difference.
Add about half the coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 minutes. You may see the oil begin to separate slightly. That’s good but if you don’t all is still fine.
Add the pork shoulder pieces and stir to coat. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and water or stock.
Add kaffir lime leaves and bring to a gentle simmer.
Now add the sweet potato and carrot and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes until the pork is tender, the vegetables are cooked but not mushy and the sauce has thickened slightly.
To finish, add fish sauce and palm sugar to taste. The curry should be fragrant, mildly savoury, slightly sweet and creamy but be sure to add everything to taste and you will be happier with the curry when you serve it.
Stir in the Thai basil just before serving.