Malis: Saraman Beef from Cambodia, Slowly Simmered in Coconut Cream
At Malis in Phnom Penh, the saraman beef is cooked very slowly in coconut cream, with a special kroeung and peanuts. It is listed at just 21 dollars on the menu of the Norodom Boulevard restaurant.
Saraman beef: a slow-cooked dish
On the Malis menu, the saraman beef costs just 21 dollars. The idea is simple. The beef cooks very slowly in coconut cream, with a kroeung blend and peanuts. It stays on the heat until it turns tender and takes on the aromas of the sauce.
Kroeung, the base of Khmer cooking
Kroeung is the paste of herbs and spices that forms the base of most Cambodian curries. At Malis, the cooks make it by pounding fresh ingredients. The menu lists lemongrass, chili, turmeric, garlic, shallots and ginger for its kroeung base. Every kitchen has its own version. The one used for the saraman is presented as a special blend.
Saraman, a curry with Cham roots
Saraman is a beef curry made with coconut milk, part of Cambodian royal cuisine. It is most often traced back to the Cham, the country's Muslim minority. Some doubt remains: in Khmer, "Cham" also covers other Muslim communities, Malay or Javanese. Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobhana's cookbook, for one, gives the dish under the name "Javanese saraman".
The Cham do not eat pork. Beef therefore has a large place in their cooking, and it is mostly Cham women who sell it in the markets. Saraman is a festive dish, served at weddings among other occasions. It takes work: the spices are toasted one by one for the paste, then the meat cooks in it for at least two hours.
What saraman tastes like: warm spices, coconut and peanuts
Saraman belongs to the same family as massaman and rendang, two curries that also owe much to Muslim traders and their spices from India. The sauce is thick, dark and rich. Star anise and cassia dominate, with cardamom, cloves, cumin and coriander. Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf add freshness. Tamarind and palm sugar balance the whole.
Chili stays in the background: Cambodian curries are generally rather mild. The peanuts cook in the sauce or garnish it, and the beef, braised for a long time, becomes very tender. In Cambodia, saraman is often eaten with baguette.
The recipe changes from one kitchen to the next. The Malis menu lists a special kroeung, peanuts and coconut cream.
Malis, a Khmer restaurant in Phnom Penh
Malis stands at 136 Norodom Boulevard. The restaurant opened in 2009. In Khmer, its name means jasmine flower. Its motto is "Living Cambodian Cuisine": traditional recipes adapted to today's tastes, careful presentation, and a cool setting built around a garden and a pond.
Several dishes on the menu come in under 15 dollars. The plear sach ko, a Khmer-style beef carpaccio marinated in prahok, lemongrass and green peppercorn, is 11 dollars. The beef lok lak, the spiced stir-fried veal and the chicken curry cooked in a lotus leaf are 13 dollars. The banana blossom salad with chicken is 7 dollars.
Book a table at Malis
Address: 136 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh
Saraman beef price: 21 dollars
Reservations: +855 (0)15 814 888
Telegram: @MalisPP
Malis menu, Norodom Boulevard: view the menu online
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