Name: Larb gai (spicy chicken salad)
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon long-grain white rice; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemon grass; 2 fresh small red thai chillies, seeded, chopped finely; 2 clove garlic, crushed; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh galangal; 750 gram chicken mince; 1 lebanese cucumber (130g), seeded, sliced thinly; 1 small_piece red onion (100g), sliced thinly; 100 gram bean sprouts; 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil leaves; 1 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves; 4 large_piece iceberg lettuce leaves; 1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice; 2 tablespoon fish sauce; 2 tablespoon kecap manis; 2 tablespoon peanut oil; 2 teaspoon grated palm sugar; 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek

Larb is a spicy salad based on minced chicken, beef or pork. It’s popular in Vietnam and Thailand, and regarded as the national dish of Laos.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemon grass

2 fresh small red thai chillies, seeded, chopped finely

2 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh galangal

750 gram chicken mince

1 lebanese cucumber (130g), seeded, sliced thinly

1 small_piece red onion (100g), sliced thinly

100 gram bean sprouts

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves

4 large_piece iceberg lettuce leaves

1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice

2 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoon kecap manis

2 tablespoon peanut oil

2 teaspoon grated palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek

Method

1.Place ingredients for dressing in screw-top jar; shake well.

2.Heat dry wok; stir-fry rice until lightly browned. Blend or process (or crush using mortar and pestle) rice until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3.Heat oil in same wok; stir-fry lemon grass, chilli, garlic and galangal until fragrant. Remove from wok. Stir-fry chicken, in batches, until changed in colour and cooked through.

4.Return chicken and lemon grass mixture to wok with about one-third of the dressing; stir-fry about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

5.Place remaining dressing in large bowl with chicken, cucumber, onion, sprouts and herbs; toss gently to combine. Place lettuce leaves on serving plates; divide larb salad among leaves, sprinkle with ground rice.

Although we used sambal oelek, you can use hot vietnamese chilli paste or, for less heat, a mild sweet thai chilli sauce.
Note

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