“The word larb is a loaded concept. Almost everyone in Thailand knows its meaning, but for each person it can signify something totally different,” writes chef Kris Yenbamroong. Sometimes transliterated as laab or laap, the herby meat salad, which arrived in Thailand from Laos comes in many forms—like those with ground pork or mushrooms. But “the two basic, extremely broad schools of seasoning are the Lao-style in Isaan (lime, spicy, fish sauce, rice powder) and the Lanna-style in Northern Thailand (earthy, salty, bitter herbs),” Yang explains.
This larb recipe is seasoned in the Lao-style with hot Thai chiles, toasted and ground rice for nuttiness, tangy lime juice, and lots of fresh mint and cilantro. Most of the ingredients are widely available, but it’s worth shopping at an Asian market for glutinous rice and good quality fish sauce. For the ground meat, use thigh or a mix of dark and white meat, not ground chicken breast, which would be too dry for this preparation.
If you find yourself rushed on weeknights, consider prepping the roasted chile and toasted rice powders ahead of time. You’ll have extra rice powder after finishing this dish—save it for another round of larb, or use it to garnish a salad, bread a chicken cutlet, or thicken the broth of a soup or stew. The chile powder can be used anywhere you might use crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne. Serve the larb as soon as it comes off the heat with cabbage (or lettuce leaves), and khao niao (sticky rice) or plain white rice, and a couple of other Thai dishes like green papaya salad.
This recipe was adapted for style from ‘Night + Market’ by Kris Yenbamroong. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Roasted Chile Powder
2
Toasted Rice Powder
1
1¼
1
2
Larb and assembly
¾
3
1
½
¼
12
½
2
2
½
16
Preparation
Roasted Chile Powder
Step 1
Roast 2 cups dried bird chiles, pulla chiles, or chiles de árbol, stemmed in a dry wok over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep, dark crimson (almost brown) and give off a sweet and earthy smell (not burnt). The process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes, but it pays to be vigilant in making sure they toast evenly and slowly.
Step 2
Remove from heat and let sit until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a food processor, blender, or spice grinder and grind until slightly finer than the crushed red pepper you’d find at a pizza shop. Be careful not to breathe in any chile dust when you remove the lid.
Do Ahead: Roasted chile powder can be made 3 months ahead. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Toasted Rice Powder
Step 3
Cook 1 cup uncooked glutinous rice or jasmine rice in a dry wok over medium heat, stirring occasionally at first, then more frequently as it browns. Once you smell the toasting rice, stir in 1¼" piece fresh galangal, cut into thin coins, 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced lemongrass, and 2 makrut (Thai) lime leaves. Continue to cook until rice develops a deep amber golden hue, about the same color as brown rice, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.
Step 4
Transfer rice mixture to a food processor or spice grinder and pulse until mixture is the consistency of granulated sugar.
Do Ahead: Toasted rice powder can be made 1 month ahead. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Larb and assembly
Step 5
Place ¾ lb. ground chicken in a small saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until chicken is opaque but still soft. Using a spatula or spoon, break meat into small clumps. Drain off water, then stir in 3 Tbsp. fish sauce and 1 tsp. sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
Step 6
Add seasonings, in this order, giving a quick toss after each addition: 1½ Tbsp. Roasted Chile Powder, ½ cup thinly sliced (root to stem) red onion or shallots, ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, 12 mint leaves, torn, ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems, and 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice. Once you’re ready to serve, add 1 Tbsp. Toasted Rice Powder at the last moment. Serve with the leaves from 2 small wedges green cabbage, ½ cucumber, peeled lengthwise in striped segments, cut crosswise into ½" slices, and 16 green beans, trimmed (uncooked), and cooked sticky rice alongside.
Editor’s Note: This recipe first appeared on Bon Appétit in October 2017. Head this way for more of our favorite Thai recipes →