Laap Moo (Thai minced meat salad)

When I stayed in Thailand for a month by myself in 2019, I went to the Northeast region for about 10 days. I was impressed by the deliciousness of the food there: laap moo.

Even though Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are in the northeastern region, they are still Thailand, and during the daytime it is very hot with the sun beating down on you. This dish (maybe) is eaten to cool down such heat from inside. I was completely charmed by the refreshing taste of mint and lime.

I actually use glutinous rice instead of glutinous barley, but I didn’t have glutinous rice when I decided to make it at home (do any families have glutinous rice on hand?). So I substituted glutinous barley, which I always use to cook with rice, and it was a great success!

It’s low in calories, filling, and can be eaten like a salad, so it’s perfect for the summer months when appetites are low. If you like a spicy taste, you can sprinkle chili peppers on it.

Laap Moo (Thai minced meat salad)

Recipe by AKO's CookBook

Servings

2

servings

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 200g minced pork

• 1/2 Early Red

• 1 or 2 bunches of coriander

• 2 tablespoons glutinous barley

• 1 bag bean sprouts

• 2 kelp mandarin leaves (you don’t need them)

• 2 teaspoons fish sauce

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• Lettuce, as needed

Directions

• Fry the sticky barley. When it starts to smell fragrant, add a little sesame oil and stir-fry the ground pork. If you like, you can make it more like soboro, but I think it tastes better if there are some chunks left.
• When it is cooked, add the early red and bean sprouts and stir-fry further. When they become translucent, add fish sauce, tangerine leaves, soy sauce, and lime juice, and let the flavors soak in. Turn off the heat and stir in the pak choi cut into 1 cm lengths. Serve on a plate lined with lettuce to give it a nice atmosphere and to eat it as a salad and a staple.
• You can also add some “refreshing” herbs such as mint or lemongrass if you like. You may not be able to imagine the taste, but it is a crisp salad with lime and herbs rather than meat.