Larb (Laotian Meat Salad)
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The Tale of Larb (Laotian Meat Salad)
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Larb is considered Laos's national dish, a minced meat salad brightened with lime, fish sauce, and toasted rice powder, shared with the ethnically Lao Isan region of northeastern Thailand. Its name sounds like the Lao word for luck, so it's traditionally served at celebrations and New Year gatherings to bring good fortune.
Ingredients
Scale:· 4 servings
- 500g ground chicken, pork, or beef
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua)
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1-2 chilies, minced or chili flakes
- Lettuce leaves and sticky rice for serving
Instructions
- 1Toast raw sticky rice grains in a dry pan until deep golden brown, then grind into a coarse powder to make khao khua.
- 2Cook the ground meat in a dry or lightly oiled pan over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until just cooked through.
- 3Remove from heat and immediately toss the hot meat with lime juice and fish sauce.
- 4Add the toasted rice powder, sliced shallots, scallions, mint, cilantro, and chilies.
- 5Toss everything together thoroughly, adjusting lime juice, fish sauce, and chili to balance sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
- 6Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- 7Serve the larb at room temperature with fresh lettuce leaves for wrapping.
- 8Accompany with sticky rice on the side.
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