Cultured Kitchen: Making Larb, Queen of Salads

Being on the go is universal but it doesn’t have to mean we sacrifice eating well. In past posts, ground ingredients were a part of everyday entrées, some wrapped or sautéed, others stewed or baked. Taking an ingredient and grinding it makes it cook faster helps aid in absorbing flavors.

In Thailand, the dish Larb is made with ground meats or mushrooms – easily thrown together when everyone has something going on. Larb (pronounced lab) means to “chop finely” but Laos legend has its definition as lucky. We think the luck is all ours for finding out how easy this is to make!

Ingredients:

1 lime
2 Tbsp fish sauce/to taste
1 Tbsp sugar/agave/honey
2 tsp Thai chili paste
1/2 cup rice(uncooked)
3/4 Cup broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
3 Tbsp minced lemongrass
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 1/2 lb ground turkey, pork, beef, chicken or mushrooms
1 tsp Asian five spice
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped mint
2 green onions
Dash of sumac
Salt to taste
1 Thai chili to taste
1 medium head of lettuce
1 small cabbage

Preparation:

1. Whisk the first four ingredients together, quartering the lime and squeezing the juice into the mixture.

2. In a medium skillet on medium-low heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil. Then add the uncooked rice, stirring until light or golden brown. Remove rice and set aside.

3. Set heat under skillet to medium. Add the remaining Tbsp of oil and half the garlic, lemon grass and green onions. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth, and let simmer.

4. Add half of the salt, pepper, sumac, five spice and ground meat/mushrooms. Stir until thoroughly cooked, about 8 minutes.

5. Stir in the remaining spices, salt, lemongrass and green onions and any vegetables you want to include. Cook until tender and when most of the broth has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and stir in chopped basil, mint and the toasted rice.

7. Chop the lettuce and cabbage, place on plates, put larb on top and add the sauce.

8. Season with salt, lime wedges, Thai chilies.

Recipe is author’s own from their stay in Koi Samui, Thailand. Measurement adaptations from Bon Appetite 1998.