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AI-generated photograph: A neat dome of finely chopped browned mushroom larb flecked with chilli, shallot, mint and coriander and dusted with toasted rice powder, set on cupped little gem leaves on a round pale sandstone coloured ceramic plate, raw green beans laid beside it, seen from directly above

Home · Recipes · Larb het, mushroom larb with toasted rice

Isan (north east Thai) · Dinner

Larb het, mushroom larb with toasted rice

browned mushrooms · lime and chilli · mint and toasted rice

AI-generated photograph

Larb is the chopped salad at the heart of Isan cooking, dressed with lime, chilli and khao khua and packed with fresh herbs; het means mushroom. Our vegan larb uses well browned mixed mushrooms, so it is meaty, sour and hot, and eaten scooped into lettuce leaves or with sticky rice.

Contains: soya, as written. Soya (tamari). Buy a tamari labelled gluten free, since ordinary soy sauce contains wheat. Khao khua is toasted sticky rice and has no gluten; if bought ready made, check the label.

Ingredients

  • 600g mixed mushrooms (oyster, shiitake and chestnut), finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layer removed, very finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (a soy sauce made without wheat), labelled gluten free
  • 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 3 limes)
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons khao khua (toasted sticky rice ground to a coarse powder), bought from a Thai shop or made at home, see the tips
  • 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • A large handful of mint leaves
  • A handful of coriander leaves
  • To serve: 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated, and 100g green beans, trimmed

Plan a week with Isan (north east Thai) dishes

Let's cook

  1. Heat a large frying pan or wok on a high heat and add the oil. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and leave them, without stirring, for 3 minutes so they start to brown.
  2. Stir and keep cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms have given up their water, it has cooked away and they are browned and a little crisp at the edges. Do this in two batches if your pan is small, or they will steam instead of brown.
  3. Add the lemongrass and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tamari, lime juice, sugar and chilli flakes. The warm mushrooms soak up the dressing.
  5. Add the khao khua, shallots and spring onions and mix well. Fold in the mint and coriander last.
  6. Taste and balance: it should be sour, salty and hot, with a nutty edge from the rice. Add more lime or tamari to taste.
  7. Pile onto a plate and serve warm or at room temperature with the lettuce leaves for scooping, the raw green beans for crunch, and sticky rice.

Tips

  • To make khao khua yourself, toast 3 tablespoons of uncooked sticky rice in a dry frying pan on a medium low heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden and smelling of popcorn. Cool, then grind to coarse sand in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. It keeps for 2 weeks in a sealed jar.
  • Chop the mushrooms by hand to about the size of a lentil; a food processor turns them to paste.
  • Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 1 day; add fresh herbs before eating them cold.

Swaps

  • More protein: add 200g firm tofu, crumbled and fried until golden, with the mushrooms.
  • No tamari: use 2 tablespoons of a vegan fish sauce, checking its label for soya and wheat.

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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