Nam Khao – Laotian Rice Ball Salad
This salad can easily serve as a main course summer meal.
Servings: 7
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 2 cups ground pork
- 1 cup frozen grated coconut defrosted (or freshly grated coconut)
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 beaten eggs
- 4 thinly sliced shallots
- Oil for deep frying
- Salad Ingredients:
- 7 oz. Laotian sausage or som moo
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 7 dried red chiles
- 4 cups firmly packed lettuce greens per serving
- 7 limes
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Combine all rice ball ingredients except the oil. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Form into small meatballs, 26-28 in quantity. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (this helps them firm so that they will not break apart when frying). You can also make them a day in advance and leave them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat enough oil for deep frying. Fry until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Saute sausage in an oiled skillet.
- In a skillet heat oil. Add chiles and fry until they soften a little, 1-2 minutes. Leave to cool for a minute and break into pieces.
- Toss lettuce with lime juice, peanuts, cilantro and chiles.
- Break apart the rice balls by hand.
- To serve, add the broken rice balls and sausage on top.
- Garnish with the edible flowers.
Notes
You can also roll the ingredients into lettuce leaves and serve them as lettuce wraps. It is also sometimes served with banana blossoms.
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