Thai Chicken Larb

I love the clean, vibrant flavours in Thai Chicken Larb. In fact, I’m convinced that I actually feel healthier after eating this dish. It is easy to make; with very little effort you will have this very tasty Thai dish to serve. Furthermore, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself.

Course Appetiser, Entree, Starter

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings people

Calories 189kcal

Author Alexandra

Ingredients

250 g chicken mince ground chicken
¼ cup water
2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce * 40 ml
2 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed 40 ml
1 teaspoon grated palm sugar *
3 stems coriander/cilantro divided
1 stalk spring onion/scallion white and some green, finely sliced
10 mint leaves finely sliced *
1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Roasted Ground Rice -

¼ cup Jasmine rice (raw) *

Serving Suggestions -

red chilli, sliced thinly and sprinkled on top
iceberg or cos lettuce leaves
lime wedges
cucumber wedges
fresh herbs: mint, coriander, Thai basil

Instructions

Place the rice in a medium-size frying pan and heat over low-medium heat.
Shake the pan constantly until the rice is golden, 10-15 minutes.
Cool the rice slightly before grinding in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
You need to end up with a coarse powder, almost like sesame seeds – don’t turn it into dust.
Place the water and chicken mince in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir the chicken until it is cooked. It is not necessary to break it up completely, small chunks are preferable.
Remove from the heat and turn the chicken, and the liquid which remains, into a bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix them together. Check that the seasoning is well balanced and to your taste.
Arrange the salad on a serving platter, sprinkle with chilli if using. Arrange the lettuce leaves, cucumber, lime wedges and herbs on the plate and serve. Each person spoons some Larb onto the lettuce leaf, along with a few herb leaves. You may like to squeeze on a little fresh lime.

Notes

*Serves 2 as a main course, 4 if served as part of a shared meal.
*Thai fish sauce is available from supermarkets or Asian grocers. It is one of the basic ingredients in Thai food. Do not be deterred by the “fishy” smell; it is pungent but adds umami flavour and is counteracted by the use of lime juice and herbs. It is readily available in supermarkets.
*Palm sugar is produced from the sap of several different varieties of palms. It has a mild caramel flavour and is not as “sickly” sweet as regular cane sugar. It is available in supermarkets and Asian grocers.
* This is rice, frequently sticky/glutinous white rice but can be other white rice. The rice is toasted in a wok or frying pan and then ground to a coarse powder. It adds a nutty flavour and absorbs liquids. I have used Jasmine rice.
*Do not slice the mint until shortly before serving as it will blacken.
*This is more rice than you will need. You can make less but I like to have some extra on hand.

Nutrition