Samlor Machu

Ingredients

Fish or meat

• 800 gfreshwater fish, in thick steaks
• or 800 g beef, thinly sliced

Sour base

• 1.5 litreswater
• 80 gtamarind pulp
• 200 gfresh pineapple, in wedges
• 3tomatoes, in wedges

Aromatics

• 3 stalkslemongrass, bruised
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 2shallots, sliced
• 3 tablespoonsprahok or fish sauce
• 1 tablespoonpalm sugar
• 1 tablespoonoil

Vegetables

• 200 gwater lily stems, peeled and cut
• or 200 g elephant ear stem, peeled
• 150 gbean sprouts
• a handful of rice paddy herb
• a handful of Thai basil

To serve

• steamed rice
• fish sauce with sliced chilli

Directions

1. Leave it out if you cannot prepare it properly. Understanding prahok helps with the seasoning. Put the tamarind pulp in a bowl. Pour over 300 ml of hot water. Break it up with your fingers as it softens. Discard the seeds and the fibres.
2. Cut the fish into thick steaks through the bone. Rinse them and then pat them dry. Season them lightly with salt. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Fry the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add the bruised lemongrass stalks. Pour in the water and bring it to a simmer.
3. Add the strained tamarind water. Add the prahok or the fish sauce. Add the palm sugar to the pot. Let it simmer for ten minutes. Taste it now, before anything else goes in. It should be sour first and salty second. Adjust the tamarind, fish sauce and sugar.
4. Keep tasting until it balances. Add the pineapple wedges to the pot. Simmer them for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes and give them three minutes. Cooking the fish is done gently. Skim off any foam that rises up.
5. Simmer it for about eight minutes. The flesh should flake at the thickest part. Add the peeled water lily or taro stems. Give them three or four minutes.
6. Add the bean sprouts and turn the heat off. The residual heat is enough for them. Tear the herbs and scatter them over. Taste the broth one last time. Adjust the sour and salt as needed. Serving it is done in a large shared bowl.
7. Set it in the middle of the table. It does not keep well because of the vegetables.

Technique

• The samlor machu family includes machu trey with fish, machu kroeung with the Khmer spice paste, and machu yuon in a Vietnamese style.
• Each uses a different sour agent and a different set of vegetables.

Substitutions

• Fish sauce replaces prahok and is far easier to find, though the flavour is lighter.
• Any firm white fish works, and prawns are used in coastal versions.

Variations

• Samlor machu kroeung uses the Khmer lemongrass and turmeric paste.
• Samlor machu trey is the plain fish version.
• A version soured with lime rather than tamarind is made in some households.

Frequently asked questions

What is Samlor Machu?

Samlor Machu is a soup & stew from Cambodia: sour soup of fish or beef with tamarind, pineapple and water-lily stems.

How long does Samlor Machu take to make?

Samlor Machu takes 30 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Samlor Machu?

Yes, within limits. Fish sauce replaces prahok and is far easier to find, though the flavour is lighter. Any firm white fish works, and prawns are used in coastal versions.