Have you ever heard about Lok Lak? In Khmer language this food is Chik-Chak, something that we say it is easy and quick (I just found that in Hebrew Chik-Chak means ‘quickly’ same like Khmer). If you have been to Cambodia, probably you have heard about this food.
Lok Lak is one of the most favorite foods for Cambodians; it’s just as popular as Fried Rice or Noodle. But it is often cooked at the time when there is a family meeting, party or weekend. By local tradition, this food is popularly eaten by using fingers, and it is served in a big plat which everybody could share this dish together. This way of eating makes entire families enjoy Lok Lak slowly along with chatting, and brings such a great time.
Anyway, in restaurant now they serve Lok Lak in an individual portion, and with spoon and fork. Below I will show how we eat Lok Lak by using fingers.
Recipe for One Person:
Ingredients: 250g of Beef Tenderloin, 3cloves of Garlic, and half of small onion
Dressing: 1/2sp of fresh Lime or Lemon Juice, 2sp of hot water, 1cloves of Garlic, 1/2tsp of Salt, ½ tsp of Ground Pepper.
Vegetables to serve with: 1medium size of Tomato, and Iceberg Lettuce (use different kind of lettuce up to favorite like Romaine, Red or Green Oak Leaf, Lollo, Frisee, Or Mixed Salad – but I like Iceberg as it’s sweet and crisp, but local Cambodians usually use Khmer lettuce which looks similar to green Oak Leaf or Lollo lettuce).
Method:
1. Slice Tomato very thin after that prepare it with iceberg salad on a plate.
2. Prepare Dressing (Pepper Sauce): Peel out the 1 cloves of garlic and chop them into very small pieces or smash, then put into a small bowl. After that mix salt, pepper, lime/lemon juice, and water in. Mix them well together. Keep it to serve.
3. Frying the Beef:
- Slice the beef tenderloin very thin into pieces and the same way slice onion very thin. Then peel out the 3cloves of garlic and chop into very small pieces.
- Heat up the frying pan, pure the oil in. Then put chopped garlic in and fry it to get nice smell. After that put sliced beefs and stir it about 30seconds (medium cooked), then put sliced onion it and stir it well for 2-3 seconds.
- After that take it out to put on the plat that prepared salad and tomato already, then ready to serve with steamed rice (Lok Lak is served with fried potato too for modern style)
The way of eating:
- Take a piece of Iceberg to wrap a piece of sliced tomato and a few sliced beefs
- Then dip it into dressing (Pepper Sauce)
- With one bit of Lok Lak, then one bit of steamed rice
Hmm, can't wait....
Language Tip: English =) Khmer
Beef = Sach Ko
Cook = Chom In, Slor(often used)
Dressing = Toek Chro Louk
Garlic = Khtoem Sor
Fry = Chhar
Hot = Kdao
Lime = Kroch Chmar
Oil = Preng Chhar
Onion = Khtoem Barang
Pepper = Mar Rich
Salt = Om Berl
Salad/Lettuce = Salad
Slice = Chit , Han
Tomato = Peng Pors
Water = Toek
