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By
: H.P. Rajana, Picture by : Nathan Dexter.
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The rich array of fragrant ingredients
which go into this classic soup
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When guests
visit a Cambodian household, food is always at the
center of festivities.
And samlor, or soup, is integral to any meal.
So it wasn't a very difficult decision for Ministry
of Tourism officials to decide what to present as
part of Cambodia Night at the Asean Forum, to be
held in Jakarta, Indonesia from January 20th to
28th, 2002.
Performances of traditional arts and dance will
be complimented by a fashion show of traditional
dress and, of course, a full traditional meal at
which Samlor M,chu Kroeung, or Spicy Sour Soup,
will be a centerpiece.
Mr Kousoum Samroeuth, Director General of the Ministry
of Tourism, said the toughest decision, and one
they are still deciding, is which particular soup
to serve. "Like other aspects of Khmer traditions
and culture, food represents the character of our
country," he said. |
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His offsider,
Mr Kong Sopheareak, Deputy Director of the Information
Technology Center at the Ministry of Tourism, said that
the unique flavors of Khmer soups, made them important
in understanding the fabric of Cambodia.
"Though I am not good at cooking, I know what I should
propose our visitors to taste, and that is our soup. If
we talk about sour soup, we have to differentiate between
the sour soup without spice, called sgnor chrouk, and
the one with spice, called samlor m'chu kroeung.
"Cambodia has a large range of traditional soups
for example, dozens of sour soups, with spice and without.
There is sgnor chruok moan (sour soup with chicken and
herbs), sgnor chrouk moan trayaung chek (sour soup with
chicken, herbs and banana blossom), samlor mçhu
kroeung sach moan sloeuk t'neung (spicy sours soup with
a kind of wild green vine which has sour leaves, fruit
and flowers). The list is almost endless. |
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"These
are unique to Cambodia," he said.
One soup of the m'chu kroeung variety which can
be found on almost any restaurant menu in the Kingdom
uses beef and a blend of herbs and spices, called
a kroeung, to create a delicate flavor unlike any
other dish.
This is Samlor M'chu Kroeung Sach Ko, or spicy sour
soup with beef.
Samlor M'chu Kroeung Sach Ko Recipe
Ingredients
Beef (preferably a fatty cut)
Prahok (fish cheese), chopped fine
Kroeung
Lemon grass stalk, finely chopped
Galangal, cut fine
Kaffir lime
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This fragrant soup provides
a gentle introduction to the Khmer ingredient
prahok, a fermented fish cheese.
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Tumeric, finely
chopped
Garlic clove
Shallots
Fish sauce
Tamarind juice or leaves
Kantrook leaves (limonia monphylla, a kind of vine which
has leaves with a strongly aromatic smell and is used
both as a flavoring and for medicinal purposes)
Sugar, salt to taste
Water
Preparation
Prepare the kroeung by grinding all the ingredients together
in a mortar and pestle.
Take two thirds of the mixture and blend with prahok in
a large pot over medium heat for five minutes.
Add the beef and remaining kroeung and fry until cooked
through, seasoning with salt and sugar to taste.
Add enough water to form a soup, about two liters.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes
until beef is tender. Stir in the tamarind juice or leaves
and fish sauce and remove from heat.
Brush the kantrook stems over an open flame until aromatic.
Remove leaves and add to soup.
In some regions, trakuon (water convolves) is used as
a vegetable in this soup. Others add eggplant at this
stage.
If you wish to add either of these ingredients, do so
now and allow them to cook through.
Remove the soup from the heat and serve with rice.
This is a simple recipe which requires little preparation
but provides a true taste of traditional Khmer cuisine.
Please enjoy. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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