My Authentic Chicken Larb Recipe (Larb Gai)
My mother made this on busy days because it was fast. It was also the dish she made for my birthday, every year, without discussion, without announcement. It simply appeared. I would smell it before I reached the door. We would sit at her kitchen table and eat together. This recipe is hers. The toasted rice powder, the lime still sharp, the mint loud against everything else. That is what she made. That is what this is.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbs roasted rice powder
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 2-3 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1-2 fresh Thai chilies finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- Lettuce leaves
- Fresh vegetables cucumber, carrot, etc. for serving
- Sticky rice for serving
Instructions
- Cook Chicken:Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, spreading it evenly. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is fully cooked and no longer pink, for about 6-8 minutes. Break up clumps with a spoon to ensure even cooking and a fine texture.
- Prepare Dressing:Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar (or brown sugar), and roasted rice powder. Stir vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved and the ingredients are well incorporated. Set the dressing aside.
- Combine Ingredients:Transfer the cooked chicken, while still warm to a large mixing bowl. Add thinly sliced shallots, green onions, chopped cilantro, fresh mint leaves, and finely chopped Thai chilies.
- Toss Salad:Pour the prepared dressing over the chicken and herb mixture. Use salad tongs or two large spoons to toss everything together gently. Ensure the dressing evenly coats all the ingredients.
- Serve:Arrange crisp lettuce leaves on a serving platter or individual plates. Serve with sticky rice, and fresh vegetables.
Video
Notes
The toasted rice powder is the line between Larb and something that resembles it. It takes ten minutes to make. Do not skip it and do not substitute anything pre-made. The toasting develops a roasted, nutty quality that is entirely its own. It adds texture, it absorbs the dressing slightly, and it rounds the dish in a way nothing else does. My mother always made more than she needed. The extra kept in a small jar on the counter for a week.
The lime must be fresh. This matters more in this dish than in almost any other Thai recipe I make, because the lime juice is structural. It is not a garnish, it is half the dressing. Squeeze the limes just before they go in. Not five minutes before. Just before.
The chicken should be slightly warm when it is dressed, not hot and not cold. Hot chicken steams the herbs. Cold chicken sits under the dressing like a wall. Warm chicken takes the lime and fish sauce in. Pull the pan off the heat, let it rest for sixty seconds, then dress it.
Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for one day. The rice powder will soften overnight and the herbs will wilt. It is still good the next morning, eaten cold, straight from the container, standing at the counter. My mother would not have called that leftovers. She would have called it breakfast.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/2 cupCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 25gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 800mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
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