Laab Gai

Lao-Thai minced chicken salad with holy basil, toasted rice powder, fish sauce, lime, and dried chilli: the ceremonial dish of Isan and northern Thailand

Origin: Kingdom of Lan Xang, present-day Laos and northeastern Thailand

From the journey of Basil.

Laab (also larb) is the national dish of Laos and the ceremonial dish of the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, a minced meat salad dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, toasted rice powder, dried chilli, and fresh herbs that changes character entirely depending on the herbs chosen. Holy basil (krapao) is the herb of the northern Thai laab: pungent, clove-forward, slightly medicinal, it adds a heat that the mild shiso-like mint and sawtooth coriander cannot. The toasted rice powder, khao kua (is laab's structural secret: ground from dry-toasted raw rice, it adds a faintly smoky, nutty thickening that binds the dressing and gives laab its characteristic slightly grainy, textured quality. Laab was served at Lao royal courts as a ceremonial dish of honour; it appears in the Lan Xang chronicles as a festive preparation. The word laab is Lao for 'minced' but also, in older usage, for 'luck' or 'auspicious') making laab gai simultaneously a recipe and a blessing.

Ingredients

Laab

  • 350 g minced (ground) chicken
  • 0.75 cup loosely packed fresh holy basil (krapao) leaves
  • 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao kua): dry-toast 4 tbsp raw jasmine rice in a dry pan until golden, then grind finely

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (prik bon)
  • 0.5 tsp white sugar

To serve

  • sticky rice or jasmine rice, for serving
  • raw vegetables: cucumber, cabbage, long beans (to serve alongside)

Method

  1. Make the toasted rice powder first: toast raw jasmine rice in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 6–8 minutes until deep golden and nutty-smelling. Grind in a mortar or spice grinder to a coarse powder. Set aside. This can be made in advance and kept for weeks.
  2. Cook the chicken: heat a wok or pan with a tiny splash of water (no oil). Add minced chicken and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up clumps, for 4–5 minutes until just cooked through: slightly moist is better than dry.
  3. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl. While still warm, add fish sauce, lime juice, dried chilli, and sugar. Toss to combine.
  4. Add the shallots, spring onions, and toasted rice powder. Toss again. Taste and adjust: it should be intensely savoury, sharp with lime, hot from chilli.
  5. Add the holy basil and mint leaves just before serving. Toss once: the warm chicken will gently wilt the herbs without cooking them.
  6. Serve immediately with sticky rice (for authenticity) or jasmine rice, and a plate of raw vegetables: cucumber, cabbage leaves, long beans. The vegetables are not garnish: they are eaten between bites to cool the palate.

Notes

The toasted rice powder (khao kua) is not optional: it is what makes laab laab. Pre-ground rice powder is available at Thai grocery stores but freshly toasted and ground is far superior. Laab also works with minced pork, duck, or beef.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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