Recipe Description
Larb is considered the national dish of Laos, although it is also popular in the north-east region of Thailand called Isan (also famous for it fermented sausages). It is a minced meat salad and can be made with various kinds of meats as well as fish and mushrooms.
Recipe Ingredient
- 300g chicken mince
- Water
- 1 tbsp ground toasted glutinous rice (recipe below)
- 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
- Fish sauce, to taste
- Fresh lime juice, to taste
- Grated palm sugar, to taste (optional)
- 1 fresh long red chilli, finely chopped (leave seeds in if desired)
- Small handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- Small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly torn
Instructions
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken mince and flatten it into a thin patty. Press down to cook the bottom, but do not let the meat brown too much. Flip the chicken patty over to cook the other side, then gently break up the meat into small chunks. Toss around until chicken is completely cooked. There should be some liquid at the bottom of the pan. If it looks dry, add a little water and bring to the boil.
- Turn off the heat and add ½ the ground toasted glutinous rice. Stir into the liquid. Add shallots.
- Combine fish sauce and lime juice to taste, plus some palm sugar for a little sweetness, if desired. Add dressing to the chicken with the chilli. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more ground glutinous rice if there is too much liquid.
- Add mint and coriander and toss together. Serve with plain rice or glutinous rice.
- To make ground toasted glutinous rice, put a handful of white glutinous rice into a dry frying pan and toast over medium heat, tossing constantly, until the grains are golden brown. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. Pound or grind the rice until fine, but still slightly grainy (as in the picture). Store in an air-tight container and use whenever a thickener is needed.
