Cambodian Prahok Kroeung Ktis (Creamy Curried Prahok Dip)

My parents are absolutely lovely and everything but they sometimes also unintentionally make me suffer by posting their so-good-looking homemade foods and desserts onto Facebook. If I have enough ingredients in my house to make the same or similar I wouldn't be so disturbed to see what my parents or friends cook but when I don't have, ay yay yay! :-/

The other day, on the News Feed popped up one of my favourite childhood foods, Prahok Kroeung Ktis, I shot out of the house getting all what I need, exchanged a few voice messages with mum about the cooking instruction and the next day, voila, I had the same on my table! I had to improvise the recipe a little bit like using powder instead of fresh product, using paprika powder instead of minced soaked sundried chili. The taste is still almost like at home!

Now a little bit information for some of you that might don't know what "Prahok" (fermented freshwater fish) really is. Its name may grosses you out already but hang in there! From The Cuisine of Cambodia book, "Prahok is believed to have existed since the pre-Angkorean period. The process of fermenting the fish is, first the fish is cleaned and only the flesh is taken from the big ones, while the heads and insides are removed from the small ones and discarded. They must be drained overnight to make sure all excess liquid is removed. The next day they are then rubbed with salt and exposed to the morning sun. Being salted again in the afternoon but with salt being pounded into the flesh. This process is repeated for several days depending on how strong the sun is. They know when it has begun fermentation when it releases particular odour. The fish is then placed in wooden containers and very coarse salt is added for the long, at least two months, of fermentation."

Its odour is very unpleasant but many of Khmer food recipes wouldn't taste that good without a touch of prahok or at least that's what they feel. Although I could go for years without having anything to do with prahok, sometimes I miss what my mum makes. She has her own family recipe of fermenting the fish flesh from the big fish named Trey Ros, and I like it because we know how it is being made so it doesn't make you that hesitate to use it for a taste in your certain cooking. However, since being away from home, I feel like I have to have at least a jar of this fermented fish in the fridge because you never know when your parents might upset you by sharing photos of good food. So I ordered a jar with 400 something grams online, the Thai version of it and it lasts well over five years. 

Still here? Thank you for being brave! :-)

So, for #longdistancerelationEAT, here is a recipe of one of Cambodian people's favourite foods. Prahok Ktis Kroeung. Cooking it 16,000+ km from home? Absolutely.

      

Ingredients:

500g minced pork

1 teaspoon of prahok flesh

Kroeung (1 tumeric, 1 lemongrass stalk,

1 tsp galangal powder, 1 tsp paprika powder, 

3 cloves garlic, 2 shallot)

1 can coconut milk

some salt, fish sauce and sugar to taste

cubed eggplants (optional)

chopped 1 fresh chili (optional)

Directions:

1. Making the kroeung. Peel tumeric, garlic, shallot and cut into small pieces. Cut the lemon grass into thin slices and bring to the mortar adding the two powders. Using pestle to pound and blend all ingredients till it becomes a fine paste.

2. Take out 4 tablespoons of coconut milk and set aside. In a large pot ver medium heat, bring the remaining coconut milk to boil. Add the kroeung. Stir about 5 minutes and add minced pork and prahok. Keep stirring. Add cubed eggplants and chili if you use. Season it with sugar, salt and fish sauce. Make sure it isn't too salty. Let the sauce in the pot goes down a little bit. Then swirl in 4 tablespoons of coconut milk. Cook for another three minutes before removing from the heat. Serve with fresh crunchy vegetables like cucumber, cabbage, long green bean, eggplants, young ginger etc. 

Note: I only used a small amount of prahok so I need to put in salt and fish sauce because it is more bearable for my husaband  to try and we don't want to scare away our American neighbours with the prahok stench if use too much. If you use a lot of prahok, you may need to cut down or opt out the salt and fish sauce since prahok is already very salty.