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By
: May Titthara, Picture by : Sem Vanjohn & Titthara.
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Samlor ProrHal is a kind of
Khmer food traditionally made by people who live in the
countryside. The dish is often served at times of celebration,
during religious festivals or on special occasions, when
city-dwelling family members come back to visit their
hometown.
If someone from the city takes a foreign friend back to
his village, he might ask his family to make Samlor ProrHal
for them, because he can be sure a foreigner will never
have tasted anything quite like it.
It's a really traditional Khmer dish that is often prepared
at home, and usually eaten at lunchtime. But the most
important thing about eating Samlor ProrHal is that it
is enjoyed with family or friends - it's a dish made to
celebrate spending time with people you love.
There are lots of different kinds of Khmer food, but Samlor
ProrHal is generally regarded as the best Cambodian cuisine
has to offer. |
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Him Narin, chef
at the Khmer Kitchen restaurant in Phnom Penh, explained
how it's made:
"Take a handful of chopped citronella, a pinch of
saffron, a few crushed cloves of garlic and some slices
of Kciey (a type of ginger). Put all the spices in a mortar
and grind them to a paste. Then prepare pumpkin, amaranth,
sponge gourd, fermented fish sauce and about two grams
of white fish, and you're ready to cook," she said.
"Next, boil a pan of water," she continued.
"Put the fish, vegetables and spices in the water
and let it all boil for about 7-8 minutes."
Sounds simple enough - but don't be fooled. "Cooking
Samlor ProrHal isn't easy - in fact it's very difficult,"
Him Narin warned.
The traditional soup needs a lot of careful preparation,
and it |
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takes
an expert to get the balance of flavors just
right. "It's not for people who are lazy:
the soup needs a lot of vegetables and takes
about twenty minutes to cook," she said.
The finished soup doesn't look particularly
appetizing, but once you've tasted the delicious,
fragrant broth, you may find you can't stop
eating it. Some say that Khmer people cry
when they eat the soup because it makes them
miss their homeland. The real reason they
may shed a few tears is perhaps because some
people prefer it to be extremely spicy! "The
cook should put lots of chilies into the soup
when it's boiling if they like it hot,"
Him Narin said. "This gives it an extra
flavor, and better befits its name - Samlor
ProrHal means 'fragrant soup.'"
Khmer people regard the dish as their national
food, so when they eat with foreigners, Samlor
ProrHal will definitely be on the menu.
"I want foreigners to try real Khmer
food," Him Narin said. "I don't
want them to say that they came to Cambodia
but didn't try Samlor ProrHal." |
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Simple ingredients but
make a
wonderfully delicious dish.
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Chef Him Narin preparing
ingredients for cooking Samlor ProrHal
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