Laotian minced meat salad with sticky rice – Laap

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 400 Glutinous Rice
• 400 meat, chicken or beef
• 1 chili pepper(s), fresh
• a few stalks of coriander
• 2 beans (asparagus beans, Chinese long beans)
• 1 onion(s)
• some spring onions
• ¼ lemon(s), juice
• some mint leaves
• ½ cucumber(s), sliced
• 1 handful of lettuce, as desired
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours

a typical Laotian dish with sticky rice

All of the ingredients can be found in well-stocked Asian stores. Chop the meat very finely (even finer than ground meat) and fry briefly in a non-stick pan without oil. If it’s starting to get too dry, add a little water. Place the fried meat in a bowl and add chopped fresh chili (chili powder will do in a pinch, but this only adds heat, while fresh chili also adds flavor), chopped onion, chopped green beans, chopped spring onion (leek onions will also work), and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, and stir. Finally, stir in the mint leaves. The salad is served immediately while still lukewarm; it shouldn’t be left to marinate. Typically, a few slices of cucumber and various lettuce leaves are added for snacking; more chili and lemon can also be added for individual seasoning. If you don’t like spicy food, you can leave out the chilies altogether. If you really like spicy food, you can increase the amount of chilies as desired. In Laos, sticky rice is served with it. In Laotian, “Khao Niau,” it is usually sold in Asian stores as “Glutinous Rice” or “Thai Sweet Rice.” Wash the rice several times in lukewarm water, changing the water frequently until it runs clear. Then place it in a large bowl and cover generously with water. The water level should be about 2 cm above the rice. Soak for at least 3 hours, but overnight is best, so about 8 hours. Pour one liter of water into a large pot or steamer. If you have a steamer, line the cooking basket with a damp kitchen towel. If you don’t have a steamer, you can simply use a large metal sieve and add the glutinous rice and the soaking water. Place a kitchen towel over the rice, cover the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes over medium heat. Stir the rice gently with a spoon and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly in a bowl.