Greetings one and all from the backend of beyond!
Despite my glorious tales of do daring and adventure out here in the wilds of Cambodia, some of you have expressed an interest in what the ordinary day holds for me, your intrepid hero.
I must say that it seems a mundane and, nigh dare I say it, pedestrian request when viewed alongside my battles with rabid halibuts, or my dangerous forays into restaurants run by Johnny Foreigners.
However, as the old showbiz adage goes “give ‘em what they want”
An average day in the life of…
Let us by way of an example look at a typical work day.
06:15
My first alarm clock goes off and I generally turn it off, rollover and ignore it
06:30
Alarm clock number two goes off. This one however is a little more devious. It is out of reach and keeps going off every ten minutes until I drag my sorry carcass out of bed and am forced to belligerently admit that the day has indeed started at this wholly ungodly hour.
07:15
Have taken care of the usual early morning ablutions; shower, shave, shirt et cetera. By this time I am usually sat on my balcony with a cup of coffee watching the early morning sun break over large hordes of screaming children that can be found in the large municipal building opposite – I believe it is called a school or something…
Around this time also Da usually arrives. Now for the uninitiated, Da is my cleaner and cook. A woman of great character and personal bravery, by which I mean she does my laundry as well. After the obligatory early morning hellos, how are you and her signature giggling at my casual and expert use of the K’mai language, she wonders inside [no doubt with baited breath] to see what kind of carnage she has to face this morning.
07:25
Having given up wondering why Da giggles at me every time I try and speak to her in K’mai [she speaks no English] I drive off down the road, heading East on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard to the Norodom crossroads and the National Head Quarters for the Ministry of Fish.
Parking my bike in my reserved VIP parking space [the bit of unbroken tarmac by the mango tree] I wander into the office and turn the air-con on.
07:30
The working day at the Ministry of Fish starts at 07:30. By way of translation, this means that when I arrive at 07:30 that I am the only one in the building.
Between 07:30 and 08:00 people start to wander in, so I spend every two minutes saying ‘good morning’ ‘yes I am fine thank you, how are you’ and all that. Everyone here is so keen to speak/learn/practice English that I am starting to forget the K’mai I have learnt.
Between all of this I usually manage to commandeer the one and only landline in the office for long enough to down load my Emails to the laptop.
08:00
By this time we have normally reached a quorum within the department, by some sort of telepathic, unspoken command, a group of the guys will all stand and shuffle over to my desk
“Mr Darren” they oh so respectfully say, “Have you breakfast already, or not yet?” A few times a week I will tell them that I have not had breakfast yet. At which point they get all excited and happy and say “You come breakfast us” So we all stroll around the corner from the Ministry to ‘The Restaurant With No Name’ now this is not a super hip trendy no name restaurant, with a retro look back to the movies of Sergio Leone, it is just a street corner Khmer restaurant that is so rough and casual that it does not have a name other than ‘that restaurant on the corner over there’
So we get there and I order my usual Khmer breakfast of rice~bacon with chilli sauce, everyone else orders a variety of dishes from baked fish to pork dumpling soup with noodles, et cetera.
During the course of breakfast several topics usually come up in conversation, these are; what did I do at the weekend, what will I do tonight, have I got a Cambodian girlfriend yet, do I need there help in finding one, when should they arrange the wedding for?????? Most of my Khmer colleagues find it very very odd indeed that I am not married with children at my age, they find it even odder that I have been in country for five months and do not have a Khmer girlfriend/fiancé/wife/whatever yet. With this in mind, they often ask me if I want to meet various cousins/nieces/neighbours/etc of theirs. I keep telling them that it is it perfectly normal and fine for me to not be married off, at which point they just nod and say yes – just to be polite – then we all have to go through the same routine again a few days later.
08:30
Having had the usual fight over the bill [I am not allowed to pay] we head back to the office to start our work day in earnest.
The next few hours are taken up with me reviewing reports and updates on the various projects that are currently underway, or with me assisting the staff with their English language skills when writing these reports or proposals. Sometimes I am required to give impromptu sessions on things like report writing skills, or I have to explain what various line items in budgets mean [no you can not buy a car with the money for office equipment]
I quite often attend meetings with various project teams or other departments within the Ministry or with colleagues from other Ministries with areas of overlapping responsibility (Ministry of the Environment, et cetera)
12:00
Lunch. Here my options vary. Mostly I just head back home to have a quick bite, after which I will read for a bit or watch some TV.
On a Fridays’ I will usually go out for lunch, usually for something Western rather than Khmer . There is a large choice of restaurants in Phnom Penh.
Occasionally I may meet up with another VSO for lunch if there are any in town at that time.
Several times a week I will go back into the office early, around 13:30 or 14:00, during which time I can again download any new Emails and send out any I have written
14:30
The work afternoon begins, similar set up to the morning working schedules and practices, only without the trip out for breakfast obviously.
17:00
Time to head home, send any last minutes Emails, et cetera.
17:30
Home, showered and changed. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Da has my dinner ready for this time as she leaves for the day.
Listen to some music, check out what movies are playing on HBO, generally chill out for an hour or two.
The evenings
Again, much variety here. Ranging from; a quiet night in watching TV or a movie, to going out clubbing with my insane Khmer work colleagues.
The only small part of an evening routine is on Mondays, when I, and any other VSO’s in town, head on over to the Peace Café for the Monday evening British pub quiz night.
That all pretty much covers my working week, Monday to Friday.
Weekends can vary a lot, from travelling out to the provinces to visit other VSO’s, to going out with the Khmers, to going out with the seedy English teachers, to just doing some shopping and chilling out at home. Not that different to ones normal routines back at home. Except of course the 35 to 40 degree heat, continual sunshine, dust, 5 monks on the same moped, karaoke bar on every street corner and the fact that Tarmac seems to be very transitional here.
Well, with that out of the way, I shall get back to my reports of Fish and will update you all soon on the events of National Fish Day !?!!?
Ciao
D
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
How many Cambodians does it take to change an air filter ?
How many Cambodians does it take to change an air filter ?
Yesterday afternoon the air-con in my office stopped working, or to put it another way, it started screaming screeching banging and generally sounding like it was about to explode. Half an hour after it shuffled off this mortal coil, my boss wandered in, took one look at the large sweaty lump drowning in his own perspiration (that would be me) and asked, ‘’are you warm, shall I put the air-con on?’’ my response was somewhat vitriolic to say the least – it was 45°C yesterday. He then said he would get it fixed !
Today a small army of Khmer repairmen turned up and proceeded to dismantle the unit. 2 stood on a desk and removed the cover, another one stood on a chair and prodded the motor with a large screwdriver, another held the chair and 2 more looked on waiting to be handed things down from the others.
They were then handed the air filter, which they carried outside, one of the ones standing on the desk then went out to join them so the 3 of them then set about cleaning the large plastic mesh filter thingy with more screwdrivers, a bucket of brownish water and the odd poke with a finger.
Meanwhile back at the main unit, the guy standing on a chair was still tapping things with his large screwdriver and generally prodding bits of machinery.
Having determined by acoustic engineering that some thing was wrong with the motor he got down off his chair, wandered out to the rusty skip on wheels he would call lovingly his van and returned with another screwdriver and a hammer.
For the next part, let us just say that he removed the motor with the minimum loss of fingers and blood……….
He, and the remaining workmen, then joined the others out in the car-park to repair the damaged motor with that particular assortment of tools.
It was at this point that I decided that I should just resign myself to working in a sauna for the next couple of years.
With this thought on my mind, I thought it best to take an early, and long, lunch break.
Having returned from lunch, the workmen, the air filter and the motor were nowhere to be seen. My boss came to see me looking very sad. ‘’the air-con it is now dead. I think I will call a company that deals with air-con’’
What for ? To give it the last rites ??
But this tale does have a happy ending, first thing tomorrow morning (that is on a Khmer timescale) someone is coming to fit a brand new A/C unit in the office :-)
Well, maybe….
Yesterday afternoon the air-con in my office stopped working, or to put it another way, it started screaming screeching banging and generally sounding like it was about to explode. Half an hour after it shuffled off this mortal coil, my boss wandered in, took one look at the large sweaty lump drowning in his own perspiration (that would be me) and asked, ‘’are you warm, shall I put the air-con on?’’ my response was somewhat vitriolic to say the least – it was 45°C yesterday. He then said he would get it fixed !
Today a small army of Khmer repairmen turned up and proceeded to dismantle the unit. 2 stood on a desk and removed the cover, another one stood on a chair and prodded the motor with a large screwdriver, another held the chair and 2 more looked on waiting to be handed things down from the others.
They were then handed the air filter, which they carried outside, one of the ones standing on the desk then went out to join them so the 3 of them then set about cleaning the large plastic mesh filter thingy with more screwdrivers, a bucket of brownish water and the odd poke with a finger.
Meanwhile back at the main unit, the guy standing on a chair was still tapping things with his large screwdriver and generally prodding bits of machinery.
Having determined by acoustic engineering that some thing was wrong with the motor he got down off his chair, wandered out to the rusty skip on wheels he would call lovingly his van and returned with another screwdriver and a hammer.
For the next part, let us just say that he removed the motor with the minimum loss of fingers and blood……….
He, and the remaining workmen, then joined the others out in the car-park to repair the damaged motor with that particular assortment of tools.
It was at this point that I decided that I should just resign myself to working in a sauna for the next couple of years.
With this thought on my mind, I thought it best to take an early, and long, lunch break.
Having returned from lunch, the workmen, the air filter and the motor were nowhere to be seen. My boss came to see me looking very sad. ‘’the air-con it is now dead. I think I will call a company that deals with air-con’’
What for ? To give it the last rites ??
But this tale does have a happy ending, first thing tomorrow morning (that is on a Khmer timescale) someone is coming to fit a brand new A/C unit in the office :-)
Well, maybe….
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Khmer Cooking - I
Kha TreiFish in Palm Sugar
Ingredients
500 g fish
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup palm sugar
1 tsp black pepper
3 cups watergreen mango, grated
Clean fish and cut into thick slices. Salt it and set aside. Chop the garlic finely. Heat the palm sugar in a pot on a low heat until it caramalises. Add garlic and stir frequently, when it starts to brown, add the salt, pepper and fish. If the mixer gets too thick add a little water to help it along. Do not stir as the fish will break apart, instead lift the pot and swish it around.
When the fish turns yellow-brown, add the rest of the water and simmer until the sauce thickens. The dish is served hot or cold, usually with steamed rice and grated green mango.
Nhoam Kra-Ao ChhoukLotus Roots Salad
Ingredients
300 g lotus root
100 g chicken, boiled and shredded
1/3 cup bacon, cut into 1/2-cm pieces
1/3 cup dried shrimps, washed, drained, and pounded coarsely
1/3 cup peanuts, roasted and pounded coarsely
1/2 cup chi
Dressing
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1-2 bird chillies
Lotus roots have a hard exterior which need to be removed before cooking. This is done by using a knife to make a shallow cut at the tip of the root and pulling the skin upwards similar to how you might remove the stringy veins from celery. Then the roots are cut at an angle into 5-cm pieces, soaked in water and stirred with wooden chopsticks which "catch" the rest of the tough fibres. boil chicken and tear into strips. Boil bacon and cut. Soak and rinse shrimps, then pound. Toss these ingredients with the fresh lotus roots, peanuts and chi.For the dressing, pound the garlic, shallots and chillies, then add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and drizzle over salad
Trei PhattDried Salted Fish
Ingredients
1 trei ngeat (salted fish, 300 g)
6 cloves garlic
8 shallots
vegetable oil
2 tbsp sugar
This dish requires patience because the fish has to be handled with care at every stage: in the drying out,pounding and frying.
boil the salted fish and once cooked, drain before skining and removing bones. Then break into pieces andset aside to dry further: Then use a clay mortar to pound the flesh until it becomes fluffy. (If there is excess water in the fish it will turn soggy instead.)
Slice garlic and shallots thinly and fry separately in a little oil. Then, on a low heat, stir-fry the salted fish in 2 tbsp of oil until it starts to yellow and turn crispy, then add sugar and continue stirring. Finally return the garlic and shallots to the pan and continue to cook over a low heat to let any moisture evaporate before serving with steamed rice.
This dish is often served with thick slices of water melon or pineapple during festivals, such as the New Year.
Num Sang Khya L'peouPumpkin Custard
Ingredients
1 whole pumpkin
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup palm sugar
2 cups coconut milk
Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, then cut open the top and remove the seeds. In a largh bowl, beat the egg yolk with palm sugar until completely dissolved, then add the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Pour into the pumpkin, put the top back on and steam for 30 minutes.
Eat the pumpkin and custard cold, and serve by cutting like a cake.
Ingredients
500 g fish
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup palm sugar
1 tsp black pepper
3 cups watergreen mango, grated
Clean fish and cut into thick slices. Salt it and set aside. Chop the garlic finely. Heat the palm sugar in a pot on a low heat until it caramalises. Add garlic and stir frequently, when it starts to brown, add the salt, pepper and fish. If the mixer gets too thick add a little water to help it along. Do not stir as the fish will break apart, instead lift the pot and swish it around.
When the fish turns yellow-brown, add the rest of the water and simmer until the sauce thickens. The dish is served hot or cold, usually with steamed rice and grated green mango.
Nhoam Kra-Ao ChhoukLotus Roots Salad
Ingredients
300 g lotus root
100 g chicken, boiled and shredded
1/3 cup bacon, cut into 1/2-cm pieces
1/3 cup dried shrimps, washed, drained, and pounded coarsely
1/3 cup peanuts, roasted and pounded coarsely
1/2 cup chi
Dressing
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1-2 bird chillies
Lotus roots have a hard exterior which need to be removed before cooking. This is done by using a knife to make a shallow cut at the tip of the root and pulling the skin upwards similar to how you might remove the stringy veins from celery. Then the roots are cut at an angle into 5-cm pieces, soaked in water and stirred with wooden chopsticks which "catch" the rest of the tough fibres. boil chicken and tear into strips. Boil bacon and cut. Soak and rinse shrimps, then pound. Toss these ingredients with the fresh lotus roots, peanuts and chi.For the dressing, pound the garlic, shallots and chillies, then add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and drizzle over salad
Trei PhattDried Salted Fish
Ingredients
1 trei ngeat (salted fish, 300 g)
6 cloves garlic
8 shallots
vegetable oil
2 tbsp sugar
This dish requires patience because the fish has to be handled with care at every stage: in the drying out,pounding and frying.
boil the salted fish and once cooked, drain before skining and removing bones. Then break into pieces andset aside to dry further: Then use a clay mortar to pound the flesh until it becomes fluffy. (If there is excess water in the fish it will turn soggy instead.)
Slice garlic and shallots thinly and fry separately in a little oil. Then, on a low heat, stir-fry the salted fish in 2 tbsp of oil until it starts to yellow and turn crispy, then add sugar and continue stirring. Finally return the garlic and shallots to the pan and continue to cook over a low heat to let any moisture evaporate before serving with steamed rice.
This dish is often served with thick slices of water melon or pineapple during festivals, such as the New Year.
Num Sang Khya L'peouPumpkin Custard
Ingredients
1 whole pumpkin
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup palm sugar
2 cups coconut milk
Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, then cut open the top and remove the seeds. In a largh bowl, beat the egg yolk with palm sugar until completely dissolved, then add the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Pour into the pumpkin, put the top back on and steam for 30 minutes.
Eat the pumpkin and custard cold, and serve by cutting like a cake.
Khmer Cooking - II
Khmer Recipes II
Somlah Machoo Soup
This recipe is a great example of the kind of Cambodian soup known as Somlah Machoo, with its herb paste and lightly sour taste of tamarind. These flavors serve as a backdrop for the watercress and pork ribs. Other vegetables that go well with the ribs are zucchini and young winter melon, which, unlike zucchini, has to be peeled. Cut either vegetable lengthwise in half, slice 1/4 inch thick and add it haft an hour before the soup is done. You may want to ask the butcher to cut the ribs into pieces for you.
THE INGREDIENTS: ( SERVE 4 PERSONS )
* 2 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced.
* 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped.
* 1 tablespoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal.
* 1 large shallot, coarsely chopped.
* 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro.
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
* 2/3 cup water.
TO MAKE THE PASTE: Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, 2 to 3 munintes.
* 2 1/2 pounds of baby back ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces across the bone, then cut between the bones.
* 1 tablespoon prahok ( optional ).
* 5 cups of water.
* 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
* 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt.
* 1 tablespoon of sugar.
* 1 cup of tamarind juice.
* 1-1 1/2 pounds of Chinese watercress or regular watercress, cut into 2-inch pieces ( or young winter melon or zucchini ).
* Julienned red bell pepper, for garnish.
PREPARE THE SOUP: Transfer the paste to a large pot, stir in the ribs and prahok ( if using ) and cook over medium-high heat, stirring well, for 5 to 6 munintes. Add the water, fish sauce, salt and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. When the soup has reached a boil, skim, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the ribs are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir in the tamarind juice and watercress, remove from the heat and serve in bowls, garnished with slices of red pepper.
Sach ko ang nung tirk plei spuu.(Khmer Krom star fruit steak.)
Grilled beefsteak with delicious, spicy star fruit marinade sauce is my family favorite. For this recipe my family prefers with tenderloin steak rolls but sirloin steak also very good and much cheaper.
Ingredients :
4 Pieces tenderloin steak rolls, approx 1 ½ lbs
Sauce:
1 Ripped star fruit, seeded and slices
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Teaspoon sea salt
2 Hot chili pepper or to your taste (option)
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup water
Procedures : Places steak rolls in container. Set it a side. Put remaining ingredients in a blender and blended it well. Pour sauce over steaks, covered container and refrigerated it over night or at least 4 hours. Cook steak over hot grill to your liking. Serve hot with rice or potato.
Nem To hu sap.(Khmer Krom vegetarian summer roll.)
Khmer Krom vegetarian summer roll is light , delicious and great for appetite. Combination of lightly brown tofu with fresh cucumber, mint, lettuce and rice vermicelli noodles wraps in rice paper is very tasty to serve at any meal.
Ingredients :
2 Pieces firm Tofu.
16 Pieces rice papper.
2 Cups cooked rice vermicelli noodles.
1 Cucumber. Peeled and cut into same length as Tofu with 16 slices.
2 Cups chopped Romaine or Boston lettuce.
1 Cup chopped mint.
2 Tablespoon cooking oil.
A bowl of warm water to moist rice paper.
Procedures : Heat up a non-stick frying pan, when it hot add cooking oil and places tofu in the frying pan.Lightly brown both sides tofu, remove from the heat when done. Cut 8 slices out of each piece of tofu. Set a side.Take a piece of rice paper and lay flat on a plate or cutting board.Moisten your fingers with water and rubs gently on top of rice paper.When the rice paper is softening, take a slice of tofu put on 1/3 top of rice paper.Top tofu with cucumber, some cook rice noodle, chopped lettuce and mint.Lifts the top part and both side of rice paper over the ingredients. Carefully roll it tightly forward like you roll spring roll.Continue until done. Serve with Sweet dipping soy sauce
Kdam salk chien nung xieng .(Soft shell crab with bean sauce. )
Khmer Krom loves soft-shell crab because it taste great and can eat whole. About soft-shell crab: Crab sheds many times during their whole life span; before crab shed out the hard-shell, it grows a new layer of soft-shell under the hard-shell. During this shedding or molting process crab go hidden or buried under sands until crab’s soft-shell harden. At the same time the crabbers would be look out to catch the soft-shell crab. When you buy soft-shell crab, touch it body to check for firmness. Don’t buy if soft-shell crab has strong odor. Fresh soft-shell crab has very light odor. Golden crispy deep fry soft shell crab savor with gingery black bean sauce is absolute delicious.
Ingredients :
2 Large soft- shell crab.
1 Cup all purpose flour.
1 Cup cold water.
2 Tablespoons corn starch.
4 Cups cooking oil.
SAUCE:
1 Cup water.
1 Tablespoon cornstarch.
2 Tablespoons soy bean paste. Rinsed soybean under cold water, drained.
1 Tablespoon soy sauce.
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce.
1 Tablespoon sugar.
4 Cloves garlic. Minced.
1 Yellow onion. Sliced.
1 Tablespoon grated ginger root.
3 Stalks green onion. Chopped ½ inch in length.
¼ Teaspoon black pepper.
3 Chili pepper. Chopped.(Option).
Procedures : Removed apron (flap on the belly) of soft-shell crab, washed crab with cold water. Drained. Pour cooking oil in a large skillet, before heat up the oil, saved back 2 tablespoons oil for sauce later . While waiting for the oil to hot, put all-purpose flour with cornstarch and water in large bowl. Mix it well. Gently immersed crab in flour batter and deep fry crab till both sides crispy.Removed fried crab and placed it in paper towel covered plate to drain excessive oil. SAUCE: In a small bowl, mix water with cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix well. Pre-heat a small saucepan or skillet. When it hot pour 2 tablespoons oil (from saved back).Sauté garlic, yellow onion, ginger, chili pepper and soybean paste. Stirs well. Pour cornstarch sauce in skillet; stirs well till the sauce thicken. Add green onion before serve.To serve:Put crab in a big plate or platter, pour bean sauce over fried crab and sprinkles with black pepper. Serve hot as mahope sar (appetizer) or with rice.
Sach chrouk kho tirk doung poan chap .(Caramelized pork with quail eggs)
Traditionally, most Khmer Krom cook a big pot of caramelized pork with chicken , duck or quail
eggs on New Year Eve to eat for the whole week along with other foods. Caramelized pork with eggs is one of the most popular food offerings in Kampuchea Krom, because pork and eggs are symbol of luck and wealth.My friends prefers caramelized pork hocks and quail eggs to caramelized pork with , duck or chicken eggs because my dad loves bony and fatty meat with skin on, and the rest of family loves the tiny quail eggs. Quail eggs taste same as duck or chicken eggs but much smaller, perfect bite sizes. Caramelized pork with coconut juice and quail eggs is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients :
3 lbs. Pork hock or 1 ½ lbs Pork meat with skin on or lean meat.Cut to bite sizes.
1 Canned coconut juice. or 2 cups fresh young coconut juice.
3 Cups water.
2 Cloves garlic. Minced.
1 Stalks green onion. Chopped.
1 Teaspoon salt.
¼ Cup fish sauce.
2 Tablespoons sugar.
¼ Teaspoon black pepper.
2 Dozen fresh quail eggs or 1 canned quail eggs.
Caramelized Sauce.
1 Teaspoon sugar.
1 Tablespoon water.
Procedures : If you’re using fresh quail eggs, boiled quail eggs, removed the shells and set a side.If you’re using canned quail eggs. Drained and rinsed under cold water, set a side.To make caramelized sauce: Put 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a pot that big enough to hold all the ingredients. Cook sugar water in low heat and stirs frequently till sugar turns dark brown color, and not burn.Immediately add pork meat and garlic in the pot , and pour coconut juice (or soda) and water over the meat. Add sugar, fish sauce, black pepper and salt.Cook in low heat till pork tender tender. Add quail eggs with pork meat and simmering till meat is tender.Sprinkles with chopped green onion before serve. Serve hot with rice.
Samlor Nam NgauChicken with Preserved Lemon Soup
This soup is one of Khmer Authentic dish. You can cook with pork, beef, and duck also. It’s very easy to make. The soup is light and delicious with rice.
Ingredients :
½ Chicken. Cut up to 8 pieces.
1 Preserved lemon. Cut in half. You could find it at Asian markets, it comes in a jar.
5 Cups water.
2 Gloves garlic. Do not peel.
1 Tablespoon fish sauce.
1 Teaspoon sugar.
½ Teaspoon salt.
Black pepper.
Half yellow onion. Slice.
1 Stalk green onion. Chopped.
Procedures :
In a soup pot, place chicken, yellow onion, preserved lemon, garlic and pour water in.
Cook till the meat tender to your liking. Seasoning with sugar, salt and fish sauce.
Sprinkle green onion and black pepper.
Serve hot with rice.
Samlor Machu TreySweet and Sour Soup with Fish
This soup has a sweet, sour and spicy taste. Very popular in Cambodian kitchens because it is very easy to make and taste yummy. But it takes so many herbs and vegetables to make a perfect bowl of soup. My recommendation for this soup is to seasoning to your taste. Some like more sour and some like sweeter. Is all depending on how you prefer the taste.
Ingredients :
1 Whole fish about 2 lbs. Cut up to steak size.
6 Cups water.
1/2 Fresh pineapple. Diced or
1 large can chunk pineapple.
1/2 lb Fresh okra. Or
6 oz frozen whole okra.
1 1/2 Tablespoon Knorr tamarind Soup base powder
3 Tablespoon sugar.
2 Tablespoon fish sauce.
1/4 Teaspoon salt.
1 Table spoon cooking oil.
2 Gloves garlic. Crushed.
1 Stalk lemon grass.
1/4 lb Bean sprouts
1 Stalk celery. Chopped.
2 Tomatoes. Cut ½ inch slices.
2 Stalks Asian rhubarb. Sliced thin.
1 Cup chopped mix herbs (rice paddy herb( ma-om), sweet basil, saw leaf herb and green onion leave).
Hot chili pepper. (Optional)
Procedures :
Heat up a small saucepan on the stove with cooking oil. Sauté’ garlic and lemon grass. Set a side. Pour water in large soup pot. Bring to boil. Add fish, pineapple (juice and all if you are using from the can). When fish cooked, add okra, celery and tamarind powder. Stir gentles be careful not break the fish. Add Asian rhubarb, tomatoes, bean sprouts and pour lemon grass oil over. Stirs. Seasoning with sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Top with mix herbs and hot chili pepper. Serve hot.
Somlah Machoo Soup
This recipe is a great example of the kind of Cambodian soup known as Somlah Machoo, with its herb paste and lightly sour taste of tamarind. These flavors serve as a backdrop for the watercress and pork ribs. Other vegetables that go well with the ribs are zucchini and young winter melon, which, unlike zucchini, has to be peeled. Cut either vegetable lengthwise in half, slice 1/4 inch thick and add it haft an hour before the soup is done. You may want to ask the butcher to cut the ribs into pieces for you.
THE INGREDIENTS: ( SERVE 4 PERSONS )
* 2 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced.
* 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped.
* 1 tablespoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal.
* 1 large shallot, coarsely chopped.
* 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro.
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
* 2/3 cup water.
TO MAKE THE PASTE: Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, 2 to 3 munintes.
* 2 1/2 pounds of baby back ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces across the bone, then cut between the bones.
* 1 tablespoon prahok ( optional ).
* 5 cups of water.
* 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
* 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt.
* 1 tablespoon of sugar.
* 1 cup of tamarind juice.
* 1-1 1/2 pounds of Chinese watercress or regular watercress, cut into 2-inch pieces ( or young winter melon or zucchini ).
* Julienned red bell pepper, for garnish.
PREPARE THE SOUP: Transfer the paste to a large pot, stir in the ribs and prahok ( if using ) and cook over medium-high heat, stirring well, for 5 to 6 munintes. Add the water, fish sauce, salt and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. When the soup has reached a boil, skim, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the ribs are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir in the tamarind juice and watercress, remove from the heat and serve in bowls, garnished with slices of red pepper.
Sach ko ang nung tirk plei spuu.(Khmer Krom star fruit steak.)
Grilled beefsteak with delicious, spicy star fruit marinade sauce is my family favorite. For this recipe my family prefers with tenderloin steak rolls but sirloin steak also very good and much cheaper.
Ingredients :
4 Pieces tenderloin steak rolls, approx 1 ½ lbs
Sauce:
1 Ripped star fruit, seeded and slices
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Teaspoon sea salt
2 Hot chili pepper or to your taste (option)
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup water
Procedures : Places steak rolls in container. Set it a side. Put remaining ingredients in a blender and blended it well. Pour sauce over steaks, covered container and refrigerated it over night or at least 4 hours. Cook steak over hot grill to your liking. Serve hot with rice or potato.
Nem To hu sap.(Khmer Krom vegetarian summer roll.)
Khmer Krom vegetarian summer roll is light , delicious and great for appetite. Combination of lightly brown tofu with fresh cucumber, mint, lettuce and rice vermicelli noodles wraps in rice paper is very tasty to serve at any meal.
Ingredients :
2 Pieces firm Tofu.
16 Pieces rice papper.
2 Cups cooked rice vermicelli noodles.
1 Cucumber. Peeled and cut into same length as Tofu with 16 slices.
2 Cups chopped Romaine or Boston lettuce.
1 Cup chopped mint.
2 Tablespoon cooking oil.
A bowl of warm water to moist rice paper.
Procedures : Heat up a non-stick frying pan, when it hot add cooking oil and places tofu in the frying pan.Lightly brown both sides tofu, remove from the heat when done. Cut 8 slices out of each piece of tofu. Set a side.Take a piece of rice paper and lay flat on a plate or cutting board.Moisten your fingers with water and rubs gently on top of rice paper.When the rice paper is softening, take a slice of tofu put on 1/3 top of rice paper.Top tofu with cucumber, some cook rice noodle, chopped lettuce and mint.Lifts the top part and both side of rice paper over the ingredients. Carefully roll it tightly forward like you roll spring roll.Continue until done. Serve with Sweet dipping soy sauce
Kdam salk chien nung xieng .(Soft shell crab with bean sauce. )
Khmer Krom loves soft-shell crab because it taste great and can eat whole. About soft-shell crab: Crab sheds many times during their whole life span; before crab shed out the hard-shell, it grows a new layer of soft-shell under the hard-shell. During this shedding or molting process crab go hidden or buried under sands until crab’s soft-shell harden. At the same time the crabbers would be look out to catch the soft-shell crab. When you buy soft-shell crab, touch it body to check for firmness. Don’t buy if soft-shell crab has strong odor. Fresh soft-shell crab has very light odor. Golden crispy deep fry soft shell crab savor with gingery black bean sauce is absolute delicious.
Ingredients :
2 Large soft- shell crab.
1 Cup all purpose flour.
1 Cup cold water.
2 Tablespoons corn starch.
4 Cups cooking oil.
SAUCE:
1 Cup water.
1 Tablespoon cornstarch.
2 Tablespoons soy bean paste. Rinsed soybean under cold water, drained.
1 Tablespoon soy sauce.
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce.
1 Tablespoon sugar.
4 Cloves garlic. Minced.
1 Yellow onion. Sliced.
1 Tablespoon grated ginger root.
3 Stalks green onion. Chopped ½ inch in length.
¼ Teaspoon black pepper.
3 Chili pepper. Chopped.(Option).
Procedures : Removed apron (flap on the belly) of soft-shell crab, washed crab with cold water. Drained. Pour cooking oil in a large skillet, before heat up the oil, saved back 2 tablespoons oil for sauce later . While waiting for the oil to hot, put all-purpose flour with cornstarch and water in large bowl. Mix it well. Gently immersed crab in flour batter and deep fry crab till both sides crispy.Removed fried crab and placed it in paper towel covered plate to drain excessive oil. SAUCE: In a small bowl, mix water with cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix well. Pre-heat a small saucepan or skillet. When it hot pour 2 tablespoons oil (from saved back).Sauté garlic, yellow onion, ginger, chili pepper and soybean paste. Stirs well. Pour cornstarch sauce in skillet; stirs well till the sauce thicken. Add green onion before serve.To serve:Put crab in a big plate or platter, pour bean sauce over fried crab and sprinkles with black pepper. Serve hot as mahope sar (appetizer) or with rice.
Sach chrouk kho tirk doung poan chap .(Caramelized pork with quail eggs)
Traditionally, most Khmer Krom cook a big pot of caramelized pork with chicken , duck or quail
eggs on New Year Eve to eat for the whole week along with other foods. Caramelized pork with eggs is one of the most popular food offerings in Kampuchea Krom, because pork and eggs are symbol of luck and wealth.My friends prefers caramelized pork hocks and quail eggs to caramelized pork with , duck or chicken eggs because my dad loves bony and fatty meat with skin on, and the rest of family loves the tiny quail eggs. Quail eggs taste same as duck or chicken eggs but much smaller, perfect bite sizes. Caramelized pork with coconut juice and quail eggs is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients :
3 lbs. Pork hock or 1 ½ lbs Pork meat with skin on or lean meat.Cut to bite sizes.
1 Canned coconut juice. or 2 cups fresh young coconut juice.
3 Cups water.
2 Cloves garlic. Minced.
1 Stalks green onion. Chopped.
1 Teaspoon salt.
¼ Cup fish sauce.
2 Tablespoons sugar.
¼ Teaspoon black pepper.
2 Dozen fresh quail eggs or 1 canned quail eggs.
Caramelized Sauce.
1 Teaspoon sugar.
1 Tablespoon water.
Procedures : If you’re using fresh quail eggs, boiled quail eggs, removed the shells and set a side.If you’re using canned quail eggs. Drained and rinsed under cold water, set a side.To make caramelized sauce: Put 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a pot that big enough to hold all the ingredients. Cook sugar water in low heat and stirs frequently till sugar turns dark brown color, and not burn.Immediately add pork meat and garlic in the pot , and pour coconut juice (or soda) and water over the meat. Add sugar, fish sauce, black pepper and salt.Cook in low heat till pork tender tender. Add quail eggs with pork meat and simmering till meat is tender.Sprinkles with chopped green onion before serve. Serve hot with rice.
Samlor Nam NgauChicken with Preserved Lemon Soup
This soup is one of Khmer Authentic dish. You can cook with pork, beef, and duck also. It’s very easy to make. The soup is light and delicious with rice.
Ingredients :
½ Chicken. Cut up to 8 pieces.
1 Preserved lemon. Cut in half. You could find it at Asian markets, it comes in a jar.
5 Cups water.
2 Gloves garlic. Do not peel.
1 Tablespoon fish sauce.
1 Teaspoon sugar.
½ Teaspoon salt.
Black pepper.
Half yellow onion. Slice.
1 Stalk green onion. Chopped.
Procedures :
In a soup pot, place chicken, yellow onion, preserved lemon, garlic and pour water in.
Cook till the meat tender to your liking. Seasoning with sugar, salt and fish sauce.
Sprinkle green onion and black pepper.
Serve hot with rice.
Samlor Machu TreySweet and Sour Soup with Fish
This soup has a sweet, sour and spicy taste. Very popular in Cambodian kitchens because it is very easy to make and taste yummy. But it takes so many herbs and vegetables to make a perfect bowl of soup. My recommendation for this soup is to seasoning to your taste. Some like more sour and some like sweeter. Is all depending on how you prefer the taste.
Ingredients :
1 Whole fish about 2 lbs. Cut up to steak size.
6 Cups water.
1/2 Fresh pineapple. Diced or
1 large can chunk pineapple.
1/2 lb Fresh okra. Or
6 oz frozen whole okra.
1 1/2 Tablespoon Knorr tamarind Soup base powder
3 Tablespoon sugar.
2 Tablespoon fish sauce.
1/4 Teaspoon salt.
1 Table spoon cooking oil.
2 Gloves garlic. Crushed.
1 Stalk lemon grass.
1/4 lb Bean sprouts
1 Stalk celery. Chopped.
2 Tomatoes. Cut ½ inch slices.
2 Stalks Asian rhubarb. Sliced thin.
1 Cup chopped mix herbs (rice paddy herb( ma-om), sweet basil, saw leaf herb and green onion leave).
Hot chili pepper. (Optional)
Procedures :
Heat up a small saucepan on the stove with cooking oil. Sauté’ garlic and lemon grass. Set a side. Pour water in large soup pot. Bring to boil. Add fish, pineapple (juice and all if you are using from the can). When fish cooked, add okra, celery and tamarind powder. Stir gentles be careful not break the fish. Add Asian rhubarb, tomatoes, bean sprouts and pour lemon grass oil over. Stirs. Seasoning with sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Top with mix herbs and hot chili pepper. Serve hot.
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