Larb Gai

The Method for Larb Gai

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1. Toast the raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking constantly, until it is deep golden brown and smells strongly nutty.

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2. Cool completely, then grind to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. It should feel like coarse sand.

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3. Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and chilli flakes together until the sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be aggressively sour, salty and hot.

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4. Put the chicken and the 3 tablespoons of water in a wok or frying pan over medium heat.

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5. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the mince up constantly with a spoon, until just cooked through. Do not brown it.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes — dressing hot meat dulls the herbs instantly.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

7. Add the dressing and toss thoroughly, then fold in 3 tablespoons of the toasted rice powder.

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8. Fold through the shallots, spring onions, mint and coriander at the last moment.

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9. Pile onto a plate, dust with more rice powder, and serve with sticky rice and raw vegetables.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Choosing rice.

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What Can Go Wrong

1. Toast the rice until it is genuinely dark. Pale rice powder tastes of nothing.
2. Taste and adjust the dressing before it goes on. Larb should be sharper than seems sensible.
3. Add the herbs last and serve immediately, or they wilt in the residual heat.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Good to Know About Larb Gai

Khao khua — raw sticky rice toasted and ground — is the ingredient that makes larb larb: it adds a nutty aroma and a faint grittiness that also thickens the dressing so it clings to the meat. The chicken is poached in a splash of water rather than fried, keeping it moist and leaving a small amount of liquid that becomes part of the dressing.

To Go With It

Sticky rice, eaten with your hands · A cold beer · Som tam and grilled chicken, for an Isaan spread

Storing Leftovers

Best within an hour. Refrigerate up to 2 days but refresh with more lime and fresh herbs before serving.

Common Questions

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: an ingredient listed without an amount is not counted, so the figures run low; part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

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