Larb was one of my favourite meals when I went to Thailand, so I had to re-create this. If you get the chilli’s from the supermarket this salad can be quite mild, so add some more if you want to amp it up.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 500g lean pork mince
• 1 stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
• 1 fresh long green chilli, finely chopped
• 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint
• Baby cos lettuce leaves, to serve
• 40g (1/4 cup) finely chopped roasted peanuts, to serve
• Thai coconut Rice, to serve

Method:

• Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add half the pork mince, lemon grass and chilli and stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, for 3-4 minutes or until pork changes colour. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil, pork, lemon grass and chilli, reheating the wok between batches. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
• Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime rind in a small bowl until well combined. Drizzle the pork mixture with the dressing. Add the onion, coriander and mint and stir to combine.
• Spoon the pork mixture among lettuce leaves and sprinkle with peanuts to serve. Serve with easy thai coconut rice

THAI COCONUT RICE

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
• 2 cups good-quality coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
• Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir (“dry fry”) until light golden brown

 Method:

• Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will also need a tight-fitting lid.
• Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
• Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.
• Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat. Tip: Your Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more, great for when you’re expecting company!
• When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut.