What is laab gai?
Laab, also spelled larb or lab (ลาบ), comes from Laos and Isaan, the northeast of Thailand. In Laos it counts as the national dish. Gai means chicken. You make laab moo with pork and laab pla with fish. On the menu of a Thai restaurant it is listed sometimes as a salad and sometimes as a minced meat dish. You eat it as a main course with sticky rice and raw vegetables.
The Lao version is often seasoned with padaek, a fermented fish sauce. Compare for yourself with the recipe for Larb Gai from Laos.
Khao khua: the toasted rice powder
Khao khua is what makes laab. Without the powder the salad tastes flat. Toast 2 tbsp raw sticky rice or jasmine rice in a dry pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the grains are golden brown and smell like popcorn. A few slices of lemongrass or galangal toasted along with it add extra aroma. Let the rice cool and grind it in a mortar or spice grinder to a coarse powder. You can buy ready-made khao khua at an Asian grocery store. In a screw-top jar it keeps for a few weeks, but freshly toasted it smells stronger.
How to make laab gai
Cook the mince without oil
Put the mince in the pan with 3 tbsp water or chicken broth and break it up with the spatula until no pink meat is left. That takes 5 to 6 minutes. This way the meat stays juicy and fine-grained and takes up the dressing instead of swimming in fat.
Dress it warm
Let the meat cool for 2 minutes, then mix in the lime juice, fish sauce, chili and sugar. Warm mince soaks up the seasoning. Laab should taste sour first, then salty and hot. Add lime and fish sauce a spoonful at a time until it is right.
Herbs and rice powder last
The shallot, scallion, mint and cilantro go in shortly before serving, and the rice powder goes in last. If the salad sits for long, the herbs wilt and the powder turns soft.
Common mistakes
- Too little rice powder: One teaspoon for 500 g mince goes unnoticed. Plan on 2 tbsp.
- Thai basil instead of mint: Mint belongs in laab, and basil changes the flavor.
- Cold from the fridge: You eat laab warm or at room temperature. Cold, the fat in the mince tastes tallowy.
Variations
For a vegetarian version, fry chopped mushrooms or crumbled tofu and replace the fish sauce with light soy sauce. You can find a mushroom version in the recipe for Larb Het. With sliced grilled pork neck instead of mince, this seasoning becomes Nam Tok Moo.
What goes with it
Laab goes with sticky rice. You shape small balls with your fingers and use them to pick up the meat. The article Cooking Sticky Rice explains soaking and steaming. Add cucumber slices, cabbage wedges, green beans and lettuce leaves for wrapping. For an Isaan meal, add Som Tam, the spicy papaya salad.
