Thai Chicken Salad | Larb Gai | ลาบไก่

Step 1

Make Toasted Rice Powder: Pour a single layer of uncooked sticky rice into a pan.1 Heat the pan over medium-low heat, and allow to cook until the rice is golden brown, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally to prevent burning. Once the rice is uniformly brown, turn the heat off. Grind the rice in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder until the rice particles are medium to fine in texture. You don't want large chunks of rice, but you don't want dust either.

Step 2

Prepare the Ingredients: Wash the mint, cilantro, and sawtooth coriander. If the mint and cilantro leaves are large, coarsely chop them. If they are small, feel free to leave them intact. Finely chop the sawtooth coriander, as the leaf edges can be quite sharp. Slice the shallots finely. If you are starting with whole skinless boneless chicken, chop it coarsely. with a sharp chef's knife. If using pre-ground chicken, just run a knife through it to ensure no clumps.2

Step 3

Cook the Chicken: Add 2 Tablespoons of water to a pot and heat it over medium high heat. Once the water is hot, add the ground chicken. Cook it, stirring to break up any big clumps, until it is just done. Turn off the heat. There should still be a little liquid in the pot. Add the sliced shallots, stir to combine, then transfer to a serving dish.

Step 4

Mix In the Other Ingredients: Add the fish sauce, lime juice, dried chili flakes, and toasted rice powder and stir to combine. Then add the chopped herbs and mix. I suggest waiting for the chicken to cool slightly before adding the fresh herbs. If the chicken is too hot, the herbs will turn brown as they are mixed with the meat.

Step 5

Taste and Adjust: The most important step in this recipe is to do a taste test. Larb should be bold, bright, and flavorful. If more spice is needed, add more chili flakes. If it needs to be bolder, add more lime juice and fish sauce. If you add too much lime juice, it can be counterbalanced by adding more fish sauce.

Step 6

Serve: Serve larb at room temperature with sticky rice and an assortment of raw vegetables and herbs. Enjoy immediately!