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.
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
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