HOW TO PREPARE LAAB.

Laab (also spelled “larb” or “larp”) is a popular salad from the northeastern region of Thailand (Isaan) and also from Laos. It is often made with minced meat (chicken, pork, beef, or duck) or fish, seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, toasted rice powder, herbs, and chilies.

Here’s a basic recipe for chicken laab:

Ingredients:

300 grams (about 10.5 oz) minced chicken (you can also use pork or beef)
2-3 tablespoons uncooked glutinous (sticky) rice or jasmine rice
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
2-3 green onions, chopped
A handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
1-3 dried chilies, crushed (adjust to your preference)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions:

Toasting the Rice: In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the rice grains until they are golden brown. Once toasted, grind them into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. This is your toasted rice powder.

Cooking the Meat: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the minced chicken with a little water or oil, breaking it into small bits until it’s fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.

Seasoning: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, sliced shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, crushed chilies, and sugar. Mix thoroughly.

Finishing Touches: Add the chopped green onions, toasted rice powder, and roughly torn mint leaves. Mix until well combined. You can also mix in some chopped cilantro if desired.

Taste and Adjust: Adjust the flavors according to your liking. It should be a mix of sour, salty, spicy, and slightly sweet.

Serving: Serve the laab on a plate, garnished with extra mint leaves, cilantro, and perhaps some slices of cucumber or cabbage for a refreshing crunch. Traditionally, laab is also accompanied by sticky rice.

Notes:

In Thailand, laab is often seasoned with other ingredients such as “prik laab” (a specific chili powder) or other herbs like culantro.
Some variations of laab include the addition of offal or blood to give it a richer flavor.
You can also add other vegetables like thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves or lemongrass for a twist.
Enjoy your meal!