Prahok is such a key ingredient to this soup, especially in Khmer cuisine. I’ve been seeing a number of recipes eliminating prahok which I understand non ethnic Khmer people do not have a taste for, but it’s disheartening to see because inevitably this is how a dish overtime loses its authenticity. It’s like replacing galangal with ginger to make kroeung.
Totally agree!!! Keeping original ingredients maintain its authenticity. I'm not a huge fan of "prahok" but I don't hate it so I can't omit that ingredient for something else. Best thing about any recipe, you can always tweak it to your taste buds. I prefer mine more on the sour side so I adjust the tamarind to my taste. Since I'm not a huge fan of prahok, I simply adjust it to my taste, but it's still part of the soup.
Unless a dish mainly uses prahok, such as the dipping sauce tuk prahok, then only a small amount is needed to any soup, salad or stir fry recipes. It’s only supposed to add an umami flavor instead of making you think of prahok when eating it. Like how some Italian dishes uses a small amount of anchovies. Plus not all prahok are made with care. Some won’t add roasted rice to it and won’t allow it to ferment long enough, resulting in a fishy prahok which should never be the case. This is why it’s important to properly prepare prahok and knowing when to add it during the cooking process to eliminate the fishy taste. Both my parents are Khmer from Kampong Cham and although we sought asylum in the US since I was a child, my family cooked a lot of Khmer food using prahok for soup, salad to stir fry dishes. They also fermented a lot of vegetables and fish dishes so I’ve always enjoyed prahok. There are some unique ingredients to Khmer cooking that makes it Khmer that without it should no longer be referred to as Khmer, in my opinion. Better to say it’s a Khmer-(insert whatever heritage influencing the change) dish. Like kuy teav which is a Teochew dish has been tweaked to Khmer taste and so is regarded as Khmer or Chinese-Khmer dish because it would not be considered the same dish in say Chaoshan region of China.
Thank you sis
Prahok is such a key ingredient to this soup, especially in Khmer cuisine. I’ve been seeing a number of recipes eliminating prahok which I understand non ethnic Khmer people do not have a taste for, but it’s disheartening to see because inevitably this is how a dish overtime loses its authenticity. It’s like replacing galangal with ginger to make kroeung.
Seriously agree
Totally agree!!! Keeping original ingredients maintain its authenticity. I'm not a huge fan of "prahok" but I don't hate it so I can't omit that ingredient for something else. Best thing about any recipe, you can always tweak it to your taste buds. I prefer mine more on the sour side so I adjust the tamarind to my taste. Since I'm not a huge fan of prahok, I simply adjust it to my taste, but it's still part of the soup.
Unless a dish mainly uses prahok, such as the dipping sauce tuk prahok, then only a small amount is needed to any soup, salad or stir fry recipes. It’s only supposed to add an umami flavor instead of making you think of prahok when eating it. Like how some Italian dishes uses a small amount of anchovies. Plus not all prahok are made with care. Some won’t add roasted rice to it and won’t allow it to ferment long enough, resulting in a fishy prahok which should never be the case. This is why it’s important to properly prepare prahok and knowing when to add it during the cooking process to eliminate the fishy taste. Both my parents are Khmer from Kampong Cham and although we sought asylum in the US since I was a child, my family cooked a lot of Khmer food using prahok for soup, salad to stir fry dishes. They also fermented a lot of vegetables and fish dishes so I’ve always enjoyed prahok. There are some unique ingredients to Khmer cooking that makes it Khmer that without it should no longer be referred to as Khmer, in my opinion. Better to say it’s a Khmer-(insert whatever heritage influencing the change) dish. Like kuy teav which is a Teochew dish has been tweaked to Khmer taste and so is regarded as Khmer or Chinese-Khmer dish because it would not be considered the same dish in say Chaoshan region of China.
Yay so glad I found a khmer cuisine UA-cam channel :) thanks for sharing!
❤ Memory Lane!!! Looks so delicious!!! I’m salivating!!!
Awesome recipe I’m gonna make this looks so good !
That's fantastic to hear! Hope you enjoy making it. Bon appétit! 😊
Can I use beef?
Absolutely! You can use just beef, pork, or tripe, the dish will still turn out delicious.
Very nice recipe without the fish
My mouth is watering! That looks delicious!
Looks delicious sister. Minus the pork though for me.
i feel likw i just had tgat❤❤❤
My favorite from my mom
Yum 😊
the word is somlor machu kroueng
Great recipe but in all honesty Chayote does not go in this dish at least not traditionally. I don't think it fits well at all. In Somlaw kokoh is OK