Larb Muang - Northern Thai Larb Recipe
by Chariya Khattiyot
-
Easy
Larb muang holds a lot of memories for me because it was the dish my family loved to cook every Sunday, our special gathering day. It reminds me of how families here come together for Sunday lunch. We’d prepare this dish, serving half of it raw for the adults and the other half cooked for the children. I always stuck with the cooked version, I never dared to try the raw one! After lunch, the whole family would gather around our small TV, watching boxing matches together. It wasn’t just about the food; it was about spending time with family and sharing simple joys. Made without lime juice and often seasoned with a blend of dried spices like cumin, cloves, star anise and Szechuan pepper, it can be made with pork, chicken, beef or tofu.
Ingredients for Northern Thai Larb Serves: 2
- 300g minced/ground pork
- handful of coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2–3 spring onions/scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 pork/ham stock cube, crumbled
- steamed sticky rice, jasmine rice or lettuce leaves, to serve
Ingredients for Chilli Mix
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10 medium dried red chillies/chiles
- 2 large dried red chillies/chiles
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 small shallots, halved
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 a thumb-sized piece of galangal, sliced
- 1 lemongrass stalk, sliced
Ingredients for Crispy Shallots
- 500 ml vegetable oil
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch,
- for coating the shallots
- 5 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
Method for Stir-fried Aubergine with Tofu
- First, prepare the chilli mix. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat. Add the dried chillies, garlic, shallots, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, Szechuan pepper, cinnamon, galangal and lemongrass. Sauté the ingredients for 3–5 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat, transfer to a blender or mortar and pestle, then blend or pound to a coarse paste. Set aside until needed.
- Next, prepare the crispy shallots and garlic. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Toss the shallots in the cornflour until lightly coated. Fry the shallots in the hot oil for 3–4 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Using the same oil, fry the garlic for 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the garlic frying oil for later.
- In a large pan or wok, heat the reserved 3 tablespoons garlic frying oil over a medium heat. Add the chilli mix and sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the pork and fry until browned and fully cooked, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Stir in the coriander, spring onions, fi sh sauce and crumbled stock cube. Mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Transfer the larb muang to a serving plate. Garnish with crispy shallots and garlic. Serve immediately while hot with steamed sticky rice or jasmine rice or lettuce leaves, if preferred.
About the author
Chariya has gone from master coffee roaster to MasterChef Champion and will be opening her first restaurant near her home in Alton in 2024. Raised by her grandad in Northern Thailand, Chariya learnt from him to never give up. That strong work ethos, love of food and ingredients have all led Chariya to where she is today.
