Larb — Thai-Lao Minced Meat Herb Salad
The bright, punchy minced-meat salad of Laos and northeastern Thailand (Isan): cooked minced pork, chicken or beef tossed while warm with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli, sliced shallots, masses of fresh herbs (mint, coriander, sawtooth) and — the signature — khao khua, toasted ground sticky rice that adds a nutty crunch and binds the dressing. Larb is hot, sour, salty and herbaceous all at once, served at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables to cool the heat. It's fresh, fast and addictive — one of the defining tastes of Isan and Lao cooking.
Ingredients
Instructions
Toast the raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, until deep golden and very fragrant. Cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or grinder. This toasted rice powder is the soul of larb.
Cook the minced meat in a wok over high heat with a splash of water (or its own fat), breaking it into small pieces, just until cooked through. Don't dry it out or brown it hard — it should stay moist. Take it off the heat.
While the meat is still warm, season generously with lime juice, fish sauce and toasted chilli flakes, tossing well. Taste and balance — larb should be punchy: hot, sour and salty all at once.
Stir in the sliced shallots, spring onion, the toasted rice powder and a big handful of torn mint, coriander and sawtooth coriander. Toss everything together.
Taste and adjust the lime, fish sauce and chilli one more time. Serve the larb at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables — cabbage, long beans, cucumber — to scoop and cool the heat.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Fat Content
- 16 g
- Carbohydrate Content
- 10 g
- Protein Content
- 24 g
- Sugar Content
- 2 g
- Fiber Content
- 2 g
- Sodium Content
- 920 mg
