Description
Use up any leftover roast in a Thai laab, a northeastern Thai salad bright with mint and lime juice.
Ingredients
Note: I have provided a small "base" recipe so you can scale up to whatever quantity of leftovers you have. Be sure to scale up all ingredients proportionally; except the chilies, which you just add to taste.
- 1 Tbsp uncooked white rice
- Roughly 150 g leftover meat or vegetables
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp finely chopped palm sugar or light brown sugar
- ¼ - ½ tsp dried chili flakes, to taste
- 3 Tbsp finely julienned shallots
- A big handful of mint and any other fresh herbs you have sitting around; cilantro, green onions, and dill are all good options.
- Optional for serving: cucumber, crisp lettuce (if you want to make a wrap), rice or sticky rice
Instructions
- Make toasted rice powder: In a dry saute pan, add the rice and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the rice has a deep brown colour. Remove from heat and grind into a powder in a mortar and pestle or using a coffee grinder.
- For leftover poultry, shred the meat into small strips. If using roast beef, thinly slice into bite-sized pieces. For roast veggies, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the leftovers up slightly so they are warm or room temp.
- In a mixing bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chilies and shallots; stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the leftovers, toasted rice powder and fresh herbs, and toss until well combined.
- Serve with cucumber or lettuce (make a lettuce wrap). Add Thai sticky rice for a truly traditional meal.
