Coconut Pork Laab Salad

This is a northern Thai/Lao take on Laab, a ground meat salad flavoured with mint, coriander, chili and lime amongst other things. This is perfect served with sticky rice. You can make balls of sticky rice in your hands and scoop the laab up with it, traditional style.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 500  g  minced pork
• 2  shallots
• 2  small  red  chili
• 1  handful fresh coriander
• 1  bunch of fresh mint
• 1  small cucumber
• 1  cup  shredded coconut
• 1⁄2 cup  jasmine rice
• 3  tablespoons fish sauce
• 1  lime
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil

Directions

1. Sprinkle the rice into a heavy based fry pan and roast it gently over a medium heat.
2. Once it begins turning golden brown, remove from heat and grind into a rough powder with a mortar and pestle.
3. Put the coconut into the fry pan and roast it until golden brown.
4. Remove and set aside.
5. Put vegetable oil in fry pan and heat up.
6. Add minced pork and begin to brown.
7. Add 1 tbspn of water and stir as it cooks, separating and mashing pork into fine grains.
8. Once pork is cooked, drain excess fluid.
9. Chop cucumber into strips and add to a large serving bowl.
10. Chop mint and coriander and add to bowl.
11. Chop chillis into small pieces and add to bowl.
12. Slice shallots and add to bowl.
13. Add powdered rice, coconut and pork.
14. Combine sugar with a little boiling water to dissolve.
15. Add juice of the lime and fish sauce to the water.
16. Mix and add to serving bowl.
17. Give it a good stir.
18. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or lime juice if required.