I’ve heard the word “larb” over the years, but didn’t really pay attention to what it was. Until I did, fortunately.

Turns out, larb, or laab, is from Laos cuisine, actually the national dish, meaning a ground meat salad of sorts. But it also has origins in Thailand.

I got this recipe from Hot Thai Kitchen blog, which features Pailin Chongchitnant, or Pai, who is originally from Thailand.

According to Pai: “ Laab ลาบ is one of the most iconic dishes in Thai cuisine that is popular in many Thai restaurants around the world. To me, it represents one of the best parts about Thai food – spicy, bright flavours loaded with fresh herbs. It is also one of the easiest Thai dishes you can make at home, making it very beginner and weeknight friendly!”

Thai larb is indeed easy to make and full of flavors. It does help to love fish sauce! (I could drink the stuff!)

Thai Larb

1 1/2 tablespoons white glutinous rice or jasmine rice *
2 tablespoon water
9 oz ground pork (preferably not lean)
3 tablespoons finely sliced shallot
1/4 cup mint leaves, rough chopped if leaves are large
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 small green onion, chopped
2-3 leaves sawtooth coriander, rough chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 – 2 teaspoons chili flakes, or to taste

Make toasted rice powder: Put glutinous white rice or jasmine rice in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium high heat, moving it constantly, until a deep brown colour develops. Grind with a coffee grinder or in a mortar and pestle into a sand-like texture.

In a medium pot, add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then add the ground pork and stir to break it up until it is fully cooked. Remove from the heat.

Using the pot as your mixing bowl, add shallots into the pork and stir to break up the rings and lightly wilt the shallots.

Add the fish sauce, lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the toasted ground rice, and the chili flakes and stir to mix.

Then add the fresh herb: cilantro, sawtooth coriander (if using), green onions and mint. If not serving right away, leave the mint leaves until serving time as they tend to turn black when exposed to warm food for a long time.

Taste and adjust to your liking with more fish sauce and lime juice as needed. If it feels a little too salty or acidic, you can add a pinch of sugar to help balance the salt and the acid.

Feel free to garnish with some mint leaves and fresh chile peppers.

Serve with some fresh crunchy vegetables and sticky rice. I cut up cucumbers and that was perfect!