If you have been to Thailand, Thai food parties, or authentic Thai restaurants, you’ve probably had Thai Northern food. Larb (Thai Meat Salad) is often on the menu, usually served with some sticky rice, grilled chicken and papaya salad. They’re the ultimate Thai street food. I’m drooling just thinking about it, seriously! If you don’t have sticky rice, steamed Jasmin rice would totally be fine. For the grilled chicken, here’s Grilled Asian Chicken Wings recipe for you. You can use the marinade for chicken breasts or drumsticks if you don’t like wings. And I promise, I’ll post papaya salad and sticky rice recipe here soon!
What is Larb?
Larb is most often made with chicken, beef, duck, fish, pork, tofu or mushrooms, flavored with fish sauce, lime juice, toasted ground rice (khao khoua) and fresh herbs. The meat can be either raw or cooked; it is minced and mixed with chilies, mint and optionally, assorted vegetables. It’s one of the most famous street food dishes in Northern Thailand.
Let’s cook some food!
My version, I used ground pork and a bunch of fresh herbs, cilantro, shallots, chives (or green onions), mint and fresh chilies. The big flavors come from fish sauce
The other key ingredient is ground toasted rice (khao khoua). It adds some crunchy bite and toasty flavor to the dish and Larb will not be Larb without it.
How to make ground toasted rice (khao khoua)?
First, toast some raw long grain rice (I used Jasmin rice
Then, I busted out my mortar to grind it. Yes! It can’t be anymore authentic than this! ha! My Thai grandmas in heaven would be so proud. If you don’t have a mortar
The texture you are looking for is a coarse powder. It took me probably 10-15 minutes of a good arm workout with the wooden mortar. It’ll probably be faster if it’s a brick mortar.
Cook the ground meat in the water in a medium pot until no longer pink.
Drain it and put it in a large bowl.
Add the other ingredients; chopped shallot, cilantro, mint, chives (or green onion), fresh chilies, crushed red pepper, toasted rice, fish sauce and lime juice.
Mix everything together. Taste to see if it needs more lime juice or fish sauce. It should be tangy, a little bit salty and as much spicy as you like.
Serve with some fresh veggies like lettuce, cabbage and garnish with some mint leaves. Enjoy!
Hope you give this Larb a try! The recipe card and comment box are below and please let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear from you.
- 1 tablespoons raw long grain rice (for toasted rice)
- 1 lb. ground meat (pork, chicken or beef)
- 1 cup water
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (and more for garnish)
- 6 chives (or 1 green onion), finely chopped
- 2-3 Thai chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- juice of 2 large limes (5 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Toast the rice in a dry plan over medium heat until golden brown and starts smelling like popcorn.
- Grind using a mortar or a spice grinder until it's a coarse powder.
- Cook the ground meat in the water in a medium pot until no longer pink. Drain it and put it in a large bowl.
- Add the other ingredients; chopped shallot, cilantro, mint, chives (or green onion), fresh chilies, crushed red pepper, toasted rice, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix everything together. Taste to see if it needs more lime juice or fish sauce. It should be tangy, a little bit salty and as much spicy as you like.
- Serve with some fresh veggies like lettuce, cabbage and garnish with some mint leaves. Serve with some fresh veggies like lettuce, cabbage and garnish with some mint leaves.
Leave a Reply