Bamboo shoot soup, Cambodian style

As per communication with @Nyainurjanah about Cambodian food as seen in this article, we cook bamboo often in our cuisine. My first article about edible plants in Cambodia also mentioned about using bamboo shoot in the soup.

Bamboo shoot soup

When talking about bamboo soup, we refer to សម្លប្រហើរទំពាំង (Bamboo shoot soup with fish, which I will introduce here), but there are few dishes that cook bamboo shoot and very popular among Cambodians, which are:

• សម្លប្រហើរទំពាំង (Bamboo shoot soup with fish)
• ខទំពាំងជើងជ្រូក (Caramelized pork with bamboo shoot)
• ជ្រក់ទំពាំង (Bamboo shoot pickle)
• ស្ងោរជ្រក់ទំពាំង (Bamboo shoot pickle soup)

However, beware of the high fiber in the bamboo. Some bamboo are safe to eat and some are too strong especially for women that many elders do not advise women with women disease or pregnant women to consume too much. Generally, it tastes so good!

សម្លប្រហើរទំពាំង (Bamboo shoot soup with fish)

Ingredients

• Meat: Fish (0.5kg - black ear catfish or any fresh water fish), small fish if available, chopped pork (0.1kg), Snail (0.1kg​ if preferred, based on preference)
• Vegetables: 0.2kg of bamboo shoot, shred very thin, Katub leaves (0.2kg), Round luffa gourd (1-2fruits)
• Spice: Corn (0.05kg), Raw rice (0.05kg), chopped fermented fish (0.1kg), Salt and sugar, coconut cream (if preferred, some do not use), red chili one or two pieces

How to prepare

• Pressed shred bamboo shoot that already cleaned with clean raw rice and chopped fermented fish for few minutes then put them in the pot on the fire. Add corn to this. After the water from the bamboo seems to dry, pour more water as enough for your family, boil it till boiling for about 20mns or longer to get rid of the strong taste from bamboo shoot. Add salt and corn.
• After that 20mns, put clean fish, chopped pork and snail in. Stir it and keep heating for another 15mns. Put coconut cream, add sugar and salt as per your reference.
• Add round luffa in, for about 5mns, then add katuk leaves and take it out. Add chili to the soup as per your preference.

*** The soup is served with white rice as lunch or dinner. Many restaurants sell this soup as main dish.