Authentic Thai Larb Gai
An authentic northeastern Thai (Isan) minced chicken salad packed with bright lime juice, savory fish sauce, fiery toasted chili flakes, fragrant fresh herbs, and the essential nutty crunch of homemade toasted sticky rice powder.
Ingredients
- •2 tablespoon uncooked Thai glutinous sticky rice (or jasmine rice)
- •1.25 lb ground chicken (preferably coarsely hand-minced chicken thigh)
- •0.25 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
- •2.5 tablespoon fish sauce
- •3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- •1.5 tablespoon Thai dried red chili flakes (prik pon)
- •0.5 teaspoon granulated sugar
- •3 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- •3 stalks scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
- •0.5 cup fresh mint leaves, washed and roughly torn
- •0.25 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
- •2 tablespoon fresh culantro (sawtooth herb), thinly sliced (optional)
- • for serving raw cabbage wedges, sliced cucumbers, and long beans
- • for serving steamed warm sticky rice
Instructions
- 1.
Make the toasted rice powder (khao khua): Add uncooked sticky rice to a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast slowly, stirring constantly, until the grains turn a deep golden brown and release a fragrant, nutty aroma, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind into a coarse powder (not a fine flour). Set aside.
- 2.
Cook the chicken: Place a medium saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup of water (or broth) and the minced chicken. Cook, stirring continuously and breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until the meat is fully cooked and opaque, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately with the remaining small amount of cooking juices.
- 3.
Season the warm meat: While the chicken is warm, add the fish sauce, fresh lime juice, toasted chili flakes, and sugar directly into the pan. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and coat the meat evenly in the dressing.
- 4.
Combine herbs and rice powder: Add the sliced shallots, scallions, cilantro, culantro (if using), fresh mint, and 1.5 tablespoons of the prepared toasted rice powder. Toss gently to combine all ingredients without bruising the herbs.
- 5.
Taste and serve: Taste the Larb and adjust seasoning with additional lime juice for tartness, fish sauce for saltiness, or chili flakes for heat. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle the remaining toasted rice powder on top, and serve immediately with fresh raw vegetables and warm sticky rice.
Tips
- 💡Coarsely chopping boneless, skinless chicken thighs by hand yields a much juicier and more authentic texture than store-bought finely ground chicken.
- 💡Do not discard the poaching liquid after cooking the chicken; that natural broth combines with the lime juice and fish sauce to create the signature dressing.
- 💡Always add the fresh herbs and toasted rice powder at the very end when the meat has cooled slightly to keep the herbs bright and prevent the rice powder from absorbing all the dressing before serving.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux