Thai cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Laab Nuea

Ground beef cooked only in its own juices and seasoned with toasted rice powder, chili, mint and lime.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g ground beef
• 3 tbsp jasmine rice (raw, for toasted rice powder)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 shallots
• 1 bunch mint
• 3 spring onions
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 100 ml water
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Toast the raw jasmine rice in a dry pan over medium heat for 8–10 min., stirring constantly, until golden brown and nutty-smelling, then pound to a coarse powder in a mortar.
2. Slice the shallots into thin rings, cut the spring onions into rings, and pick the mint and cilantro leaves, chopping them coarsely.
3. Bring the water to the boil in a wide pan, stir in the ground beef and cook over medium heat for 4–5 min., breaking it up with a spoon, until crumbly and just cooked through.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and mix the beef with fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili powder while it is still hot.
5. Fold in two-thirds of the toasted rice powder, the shallots and the spring onions, and let it sit for 2 min. so the powder binds the juices.
6. Stir in the mint and cilantro only at the end, sprinkle with the remaining toasted rice powder, and serve warm with sticky rice and raw white cabbage.