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Laotian-Inspired Chicken and Crispy Rice Salad

Dr. Foodie
One of South East Asia’s hidden gems, Laotian Nam Khao is a celebration of crunchy rice and fragrant, aromatic ingredients. In this recipe, we are using pre-cooked chicken, but you can easily make this dish with any protein.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup glutenous rice You can also substitute Jasmine rice
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1-2 stems of cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 red chili pepper, diced (optional) Thai red chilies are preferred - but we used Fresno chilies because they were locally available
  • 1/4 cup canola oil any neutral oil will work
  • 1 bok choi Napa cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli, or any green vegetable would do
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4 inch strips
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (optional) Don't worry if you don't have these - use grated lime zest as a substitute
  • 1 pound cooked chicken, chopped into bit size pieces Any protein would work. If you are starting with a raw protein, like ground meat or shrimp, cook the protein first before adding the garlic, ginger, shallot, and lime leaf or zest in step 5
  • 4 tbsp Serious Foodie Coconut Lime Sauce It is more traditional to use red Thai curry paste - and you can find the Thai Kitchen version in most groceries
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/3 cup Thai basil, chopped Use standard basil as a substitute
  • 2 scallions, sliced on the bias
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 red chili pepper, diced (optional) Thai red chilies are preferred - but we used Fresno chilies because they were locally available
  • 4-8 lettuce leaves
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions
 

  • Cook the rice until done. Remove from the heat and spread into a layer on a sheet pan to cool and dry a little. You can also easily used leftover rice.
  • Combine the ingredients for the dressing: 2 tablespoons fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, cilantro and optional red chili pepper. Whisk together with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
  • Prepare the crispy rice by adding the remaining vegetable oil to a 10 -12 inch skillet, and heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, add the rice CAREFULLY (the oil might splatter) in a single layer. When the rice begins to brown (about 2-3 minutes), carefully stir. When most of the rice is golden, remove the rice from the pan with a slotted spoon.
  • Add the bok choi and the carrot to the same pan. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, chopped shallot, and kaffir lime leaf (or zest) to the same pan. Saute for 1 minute. Add the chopped chicken and the Serious Foodie Coconut Lime Sauce (or the Thai red curry paste). Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from pan. You should now have all of the ingredients to assemble the dish.
  • Mix the rice, vegetables, chicken, min, cilantro, basil, scallions, cucumber and optional Thai chili pepper together. Pour over a little dressing and mix well. Serve on a plate that includes a large lettuce leaf and a lime wedge.
Keyword Crispy rice, Laotian food, Southeast Asian chicken salad