Larb is a refreshing Thai salad, usually made with ground meat (typically ground chicken, beef, lamb or pork), lots of fresh herbs (mint, Thai basil or cilantro), lemongrass, garlic, fresh chilies, red onions, lime juice, green onions.
Laab or Larb is a traditional dish from Laos and northeastern Thailand. Its a savory and aromatic minced meat salad typically made with ground meat (like chicken, beef, pork or fish), coked with shallots, fresh herbs, (mint, cilantro, green onions) toasted rice powder, lime juice, fish sauce, and chilli flakes.
It’s often served with fresh vegetables and sticky rice and it’s known for it’s vibrant flavors and texture. It’s a high-protein and low-carb salad that’s perfect for those following a low-carb or ketogenic diet.You can choose the chicken meat version and you will get a low-fat, rich in protein dish.
The harmonious blend of savory, spicy, tangy and aromatic flavors and herbaceous elements makes it a beloved dish in Southeast Asian cuisine.
Ingredients
5 tablespoons of uncooked Thai or any sticky rice 300 grams
(1 pound) minced pork (minced chicken or minced beef as your preference)
1/2-1 tablespoon of chili flakes
1/8 tablespoon of sugar (just a pinch)
1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 – 2 limes
3 – 4 small shallots
A few leaves of Cilantro
3 – 5 spring onions
About 20 leaves of fresh mint
Instructions
Making a Toasted sticky rice (khao kua)
First step is to make the toasted rice.
Heat a frying pan on low heat, toss in the uncooked Thai sticky rice (no oil).
Stir continuously, kind of like you’re roasting peanuts.
Toast the rice until it turns from white to golden yellow, almost to the point where it looks like brown wheat.
It will also be very fragrant and smell almost like popcorn.
Once the rice is finished toasting, and has cooled off a bit, transfer the rice to blender or grinder. Blend the rice until it turns into a coarse powder.
Put your toasted sticky rice powder in a bowl aside.
Larb recipe
Add 300 grams of minced pork to a small sized saucepan with a handle.
Fry the pork, breaking it into small minced pieces, until it’s fully cooked all the way through.
For best flavor, leave all the oils that come out (but if you want to a healthier meal, you can also drain the pork oil, and add in a splash of water instead).
Take the pork off the heat. Leaving the pork in the same pot, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the toasted rice powder into the pork.
Also toss in ½ – 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.
Add a pinch of sugar, ½ tablespoon of fish sauce, and squeeze in the juice from 1 – 2 limes.
Give the pork and the seasoning a quick stir.
Peel and slice the shallots, finely mince about 5 green onions and a few cilantro leaves, and about 20 mint leaves off the stem.
Toss everything into the saucepan with the pork.
Give the larb a good mix, making sure all the spices and dressing coats the pork.
If it needs more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice, or chili flakes. Get it the way you want it.
Serve it onto a plate and garnish with more mint leaves, Thai sweet basil, and cilantro.
Enjoy! View more.
If you have tried and tasted the recipe, share us your experience in the comment section below.
