Lao. Starter. Served at Mekong (#5 and #6).

Nam khao

Crispy coconut rice salad

Nam khao is a Lao salad of crispy coconut rice, sour pork sausage, peanuts, mint, and cilantro in a lime dressing. Serve with lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Use naem or som moo for the sour pork sausage, or substitute nem chua.

Day-old rice is better than fresh. If the rice is still soft, spread it on a sheet pan until the surface dries.

Makes
Serves 4 to 6 as a starter, about 6 pucks.
Do ahead
Fry the cakes the same day. Don't dress the salad until the last minute.

Ingredients

Scale

Rice cakes

  • 1½ cupsjasmine rice, cooked in 2 cups water and cooled (or 4½ cups leftover cooked rice)
  • ½ cupcoconut milk
  • 2 tbspfish sauce
  • 2 tbspoyster sauce
  • 1 tspblack pepper
  • 1 tspMae Ploy red curry paste
  • ½ tspMSG
  • 1egg
  • neutral oil, for frying (about 2 inches deep)

Dressing

  • ¼ cuplime juice
  • 2 tbspfish sauce
  • 2 tspkosher salt
  • 2 tspsugar
  • ½ tspMSG
  • 1 tspground Thai chile (Dragonfly, or toasted and ground dried chile)

Salad

  • 10 oznaem or som moo, chopped (about 1 cup). Use nem chua if you can't find Lao sour sausage.
  • 1 cuproasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
  • ½ cupcilantro, chopped
  • ½ cupmint, chopped
  • 3scallions, chopped (½ cup)
  • 5whole dried Thai chiles, fried 30 seconds, for garnish
  • 1 headred leaf or butter lettuce, for wrapping

Method

  1. Whisk the coconut milk, fish sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, curry paste, and egg. Mix into the cooled rice. Form ½-cup pucks, about 3 inches across and 1 inch thick.
  2. Fry at 350°F for about 8 minutes, turning once, until deep gold. Drain. Cool uncovered so they stay crisp.
  3. Whisk the dressing in a separate bowl.
  4. Tear the cakes into bite-size pieces. Toss with the dressing, naem, peanuts, herbs, and scallions.
  5. Arrange on a platter with the lettuce. Top with the fried whole chiles.

Notes

  • Dress only when serving. Dressed early, the cakes go soft.