Recipe: Stuffed squash in broth - “sngao trâ-lach nhoat snôl” (ស្ងោរត្រឡាចញាត់ស្នូល)

The wax gourd or winter gourd (trâ-lach ត្រឡាច，Benincasa hispida) is a fairly popular cucurbit in Cambodia. While they can sometimes be found in imposing sizes (several kilograms, particularly in China), Cambodians are more fond of smaller specimens, about the size of a chubby courgette.

“sngao trâ-lach nhoat snôl” (ស្ងោរត្រឡាចញាត់ស្នូល)

This squash is used in a variety of dishes, such as Vietnamese-style sour soup. It can also be stuffed with minced pork and an ingredient of Chinese origin that is currently very popular in Europe: Longkou vermicelli.

Below is one of the possible recipes for this squash stuffed in broth, known in Khmer as “sngao trâ-lach nhoat snôl” (ស្ងោរត្រឡាចញាត់ស្នូល).

Ingredients

• 1 nice waxy squash (ត្រឡាច)

• 200 g minced pork

• 1/2 packet Longkou vermicelli (mi-suo ម៉ីសួរ)

• 3~4 chopped garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons caster sugar

• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder

• 1 teaspoon fish stock (teuk trei ទឹកត្រី)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• A small handful of dried prawns

• Chives

• Pepper

• 1 litre of water

Preparation

• Soak the Longkou vermicelli in lukewarm water to soften them (about ten minutes is enough).

• Peel the squash and cut into two or three sections depending on its length. Scoop out the sections, removing the central part with a small spoon. Set aside

• Chop half the dried prawns and garlic

• Once the vermicelli has softened, drain well and cut roughly into centimetre-long strands using a pair of kitchen scissors

• In a large bowl, mix together the minced pork, prawns, garlic, vermicelli, soy sauce, caster sugar, fish stock and salt

• Adjust the seasoning if necessary

• Place the stuffing in the squash sections. Press down well. If any stuffing remains, shape it into ping-pong ball-sized balls

• Heat the water. Add the remaining dried prawns, salt and a little chicken stock powder.

• When the water is boiling, cook the stuffed squash sections over a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flesh is tender. If you have made dumplings with the rest of the stuffing, cook these too

• Just before serving, add the chopped chives to the stock and sprinkle with a little pepper. Then serve

Tips

The same recipe can be made with sections of bitter gourd, or momordique (mréah ម្រះ). However, the unstuffed sections must first be blanched for a few minutes to reduce the bitterness of the momordique.

To eat, take a stuffed section of squash or momordique from the serving bowl, place it in its rice plate and cut into pieces using the spoon. Well-cooked squash cuts easily. The cooking stock is enjoyed on its own, but can also be drizzled over the rice.

Text and photographs : Pascal Médeville