Ingredients:
- One pound ground chicken or beef (or if you are feeling frisky, try turkey or pork, I've done it all, even ground lamb! Don't do it- it just wasn't.... right.)
- 4 green onions (or 7-8 small green onions), chopped (The recipe is the best when there is a lot of chopped onion and cilantro in it. I usually have almost as much greens as ground meat in mine.)
- handful of cilantro, chopped (tip: I find it easier to chop my green onion and then lay the cilantro on top of the onion and chop the two together until finely chopped)
- one shallot, sliced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce- I use Tiparos brand
- 3 tbsp lime juice- diehard Thai foodies will swear that you need fresh limes for this and I will agree that pasteurized lime juice isn't as good as fresh, but it does the job. Plus, I found a little organic lime juice that isn't from concentrate and tastes just as good in my regular grocery store!
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp khao khua: this is a toasted rice powder and an integral part of the dish. If you omit any of the ingredients it won't taste right but this ingredient is more than necessary. It binds all the ingredients together and lends the larb a unique scent and taste. Too much of this and you'll have a slimy mess, too little and it will be all watery. I've found that one tablespoon khoa khua per pound of meat works quite well.
- romaine lettuce leaves, left whole and rinsed
- sriracha sauce- optional based on spice preference
- Cook ground meat over medium heat until fully cooked. Turn burner off and let cool for 5 minutes. Do not drain the meat, you need the juices to mix with the khao khua!
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine meat, green onions, cilantro, shallot, red pepper flakes, fish sauce, lime juice, and khao khua with a spoon until well combined.
- That's it. Yep! Super simple- just load a spoonful into a lettuce leaf and fold up, insert in pie-hole, and enjoy! I like to add a little lime juice as I eat. Let me know if you try it and if you like it. My toddler and 7-year old are obsessed with this dish, as am I, and anyone I've prepared it for!
P.S. Here is a site that shows you how to make your own khao khua at home. My friend had a little trouble finding it so I figured that might help. The rice used in khao khua is raw glutinous rice, which is actually the base for Thai/Lao sticky rice as well. http://padaek.com/khao-khua-lao-ground-roasted-glutinous-rice-powder/