Larb gai
ลาบไก่ (lap kai) — Isan minced chicken salad with lime, toasted rice powder and mint
Out in the rice-farming provinces of Isan, a plate of larb turns up at almost every family meal and roadside som tam shack, always with a basket of sticky rice and a pile of raw greens. Warm minced chicken is tossed with fish sauce, plenty of lime, dried chilli and a fistful of mint, then finished with nutty, crunchy toasted rice powder. The result is bright, sour, salty and hot all at once, with a pleasing coarse texture. Wrap spoonfuls in lettuce, or eat it with sticky rice, cucumber and long beans. Chef's tip: toast your own rice powder; shop-bought tastes flat, and freshly ground grains smell like popcorn.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the toasted rice powder
For the larb
To serve
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 2 tbsp uncooked sticky rice in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan often, for 6–8 minutes until deep golden and smelling nutty. Tip onto a plate to cool, then grind to a coarse sand in a mortar or spice grinder.
8 minStep 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb minced chicken and 4 tbsp chicken stock in a wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and breaking it up, for 6–7 minutes until no pink remains and the thickest crumbs reach 165°F (165 °F) with clear juices. Use a separate board and spoon for raw chicken.
7 minStep 3: Take the pan off the heat and leave for 2 minutes so the herbs don't wilt. Stir in 2 ½ tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp lime juice, 1 ½ tsp dried chilli flakes and ½ tsp sugar.
2 minStep 4: Add 3 shallots, 3 spring onions, ⅔ oz fresh mint leaves, ½ oz fresh coriander and most of the rice powder and toss well. Taste: it should be sharply sour and salty first, then hot. Add more lime or fish sauce if needed.
Step 5: Pile onto a plate, sprinkle over the rest of the rice powder and serve straight away with lettuce, cucumber and sticky rice. Don't dress it ahead: the rice powder soaks up the juices and turns soggy within half an hour.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does larb gai take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of uncooked sticky rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of chicken stock?
- Vegetable stock, same amount.
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