|
SAMLOR PRORHAL (PRORHAL
SOUP)
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.
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 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."
|
