When I was in Laos, I learned this recipe for Pork Larp Salad at the Tamnak Lao Restaurant Cooking class. The flavours are fresh and delicious. As you can see, there are a lot of ingredients to add to the flavours so it is sweet, spicy and sour. Also, it may seem strange at first to have minced pork in a salad. However, if it is served at room temperature then it is very tasty. For leftovers, I suggest to take it out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving. Although the banana flowers are optional, they add a nice texture. In London, they are easy to find at Asian supermarkets. This dish can be a starter or a main dish if you serve it with some rice.
Ingredients
500 g pork mince
2 medium limes juiced
1 1/2 tsp chicken or pork stock powder
4 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp banana flower finely sliced, rinsed well and drained (optional)
4 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced or zest of lime
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
4 Asian shallots, sliced finely
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 bunch coriander, cut finely
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp toasted rice powder (recipe below)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp fried shallots
1 Tbsp fried garlic
1 red chili, sliced
Tomato, cucumber and whole red chilies for garnish
Instructions
First, place wok over low heat. Put in the water and mix with stock powder and half of the lime juice. Next, add pork mince and keep stirring until the mince is cooked through and the water is reduced. The pork mince should be nearly dry. Remove from heat and place in bowl. Then add the banana flower and mix well. Add the kaffir lime leaves, spring onion, shallot, garlic, coriander, and lemon grass. Mix well. Then add the salt, rice powder, chilli powder, fish sauce, fried garlic, and fried shallots.
When the salad is thoroughly mixed, pour the remainder of the lime juice over the salad. Finally, give it a quick stir and serve on a flat plate with a garnish of coriander leaves, lettuce leaves, tomato and cucumber, or whole red chillies.
Toasted Rice Powder
For the rice powder, toast about 2 Tbsp of uncooked, sticky rice in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and nutty-smelling, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill and let cool, then coarsely grind. Set rice powder aside.
Go to Laos
Go to Laotian Recipes
Go to Recipe Map