Saraman Curry
| Saraman Curry | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | ការីសារ៉ាម៉ាន់ |
| Other names | Kari saraman; Cari saramann; Somlor saraman |
| Dish types | Curry |
| Subjects | Food & Foodways; Religion & Spiritual Life; Celebrations & Life Passages; History & Remembrance |
| Related dishes | Kari Sach Moan; Kroeung |
Rich coconut beef curry with roasted spices and peanuts, associated with Cambodia's Muslim communities.
Saraman Curry (Khmer: ការីសារ៉ាម៉ាន់) is a rich coconut beef curry with roasted spices and peanuts, associated with Cambodia's Muslim communities. (Wikipedia: Saraman curry)
Cultural context
Saraman curry is a coconut-based beef curry made with cloves, star anise, cumin and coriander seeds and roots, cinnamon, cardamom, lemongrass, dried chillies, galangal, kaffir lime, shallots, garlic, roasted grated coconut and tamarind juice, garnished with peanuts. (Wikipedia: Saraman curry) It is believed to have originated within Cambodia's Muslim community, holds a significant place in Cambodian royal cuisine, and is regarded as the richest and most intricate curry among all Cambodian curries; the use of beef, in respect of Muslim dietary practice, makes it a special occasion meal, and cows historically served as vital agricultural assets in Cambodia. (Wikipedia: Saraman curry) The curry is commonly acknowledged to have roots in the culinary customs of the Cham minority, and in Khmer the term Cham is used as an umbrella for Muslim communities including Cham, Malay and Javanese communities in Cambodia. (Wikipedia: Saraman curry) Grantourismo likewise calls it the richest and most complex of the Cambodian curries and a special-occasion dish, particularly in Cambodia's Cham Muslim communities, who consider it their dish, and notes it is traditionally served family-style with rice, soup, vegetables and perhaps a salad. (Grantourismo)
Preparations and recipes
- Terence Carter, Grantourismo, after Sorey Long and Kanika Linden
- Dry-roasted spice and coconut paste pounded with fresh aromatics, then simmered with beef, peanuts and coconut for hours.
Regional and community variations
Older Cambodian cooks cited by Grantourismo use prahok rather than shrimp paste, which they associate with Thai cooking, while modern Cambodian cookbooks and the Cham Muslim version generally call for shrimp paste; the Khmer-American chef and cookbook writer Narin Seng Jameson uses shrimp paste and adds dried caraway powder, and chef Jo Rivieres omits shrimp paste entirely. (Grantourismo) The curry is sometimes made with turmeric, and in Battambang it is made with goat, sourced from Muslim communities that raise and butcher the animals themselves. (Grantourismo)