Grilled Peacock Eel With Tamarind Dip | Khmer Cooking Video

Grilled fish is a cornerstone of Cambodian home cooking, and the peacock eel (known locally as ត្រីឆ្លូញ, or chhlonh) is one of the Mekong region’s most valued freshwater catches. In this video, you’ll see how this slender, flavourful fish is cleaned, seasoned, and grilled over charcoal until the skin crisps and the meat turns tender. It’s served with a tangy tamarind dipping sauce that cuts through the richness of the grilled eel — a combination that shows just how well Cambodian cooking balances sour, savoury, and smoky notes.

If you’ve never cooked eel before, this video is a great place to start. The technique is straightforward, and the tamarind dip comes together in minutes.

About the Dish

The peacock eel (Macrognathus siamensis) is native to the Mekong River basin, including Cambodia, and is commonly found in slow-moving backwaters, swamps, and canals. In Khmer, it’s called ត្រីឆ្លូញ (chhlonh), and it’s recognised by fishers and home cooks across the country. The fish is valued both as a food source and in the aquarium trade, and it’s part of Cambodia’s broader floodplain fishing culture.

Grilling is a popular way to cook it. The eel is typically rubbed with salt or a simple marinade, then placed over charcoal until the skin blisters and the flesh becomes firm and sweet. The tamarind dip — often called tirk umpel or tuk trey ompearl tum — is a classic Khmer condiment made from tamarind pulp, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, and chillies. It’s a common companion to grilled fish, prawns, and crab.

Key Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients you’ll see used in the video. For exact measurements and a full step-by-step recipe, you’d typically follow a dedicated recipe guide.

For the Grilled Eel:

• Fresh peacock eel (ត្រីឆ្លូញ), cleaned and gutted
• Salt
• Sometimes a light rub of fish sauce or a simple lemongrass-garlic paste

For the Tamarind Dip:

• Tamarind pulp (sour, not sweet)
• Fish sauce
• Palm sugar or brown sugar
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Fresh chillies
• Optional: MSG, green onion

The tamarind dip recipe shown in the video follows the traditional Khmer approach: mixing tamarind paste with fish sauce, garlic, shallots, chillies, sugar, and a touch of MSG until the tamarind liquefies into a thick, jam-like sauce.

Cooking Highlights

• Cleaning the eel: The video shows how to prepare the peacock eel for grilling — removing the innards, rinsing thoroughly, and patting it dry so the skin crisps properly.
• Seasoning: A simple salt rub is often all that’s needed, though some cooks add a light fish sauce marinade.
• Grilling: The eel is grilled over charcoal, turning occasionally, until the skin is golden and the flesh is cooked through. The natural oils in the skin help it crisp without drying out.
• Making the tamarind dip: The sauce is assembled in a bowl — no cooking required for the version in this video. Tamarind and fish sauce go in first, then garlic, shallots, chillies, sugar, and MSG are added and mixed until the tamarind paste breaks down into a smooth, tangy dip.

Serving Ideas

Grilled peacock eel with tamarind dip is typically served with steamed jasmine rice and fresh vegetables. In Cambodia, it’s often eaten as part of a family meal, with everyone dipping pieces of the grilled fish into the shared bowl of tamarind sauce. The dip also works well with other grilled seafood — prawns, crab, or firm white fish fillets.

If you can’t find peacock eel, the same marinade and grilling method can be adapted to other freshwater fish, though the texture will differ.

Full Recipe

There is currently no dedicated full recipe post for grilled peacock eel on CambodiaRecipe.com. When a full written recipe becomes available, it will be linked here.

Related recipe: Cambodian Tamarind Dipping Sauce for Seafood

More Cambodian Food

If you enjoy this video, you may also like these CambodiaRecipe topics:

• Cambodian Fish Amok Recipe — the national dish of Cambodia
• Cambodian Grilled Fish with Tamarind Shallot Sauce
• Cambodian Dipping Sauces and Condiments
• Cambodian Street Food Guide
• Exploring the Mekong River Region