The process of preparing Laab

Laab is a famous Thai dish which is relished by most of the Thai people. This is very popular in Thai feasts. Laab is also known as Larb and Laap which is a northeastern food. Laab is usually eaten as a part of a set such as salad made of papaya, laab, and sticky rice. The set is accompanied by string beans, water spinach, sliver of cabbage and Thai basil. Laab can also be served as an appetizer as well as a main course along with some other non-northeastern food. Some of the variations of Laab can be named as chicken laab, duck laab, and normal laab. Sometimes pieces of livers are added in the Laab to make it tastier.

One third of the lime should be squeezed on to the ground pork. Afterwards it should be marinated for just a couple of minutes. Thai people need small pots to cook this dish. Cast iron pans can also be used to cook the food because they become heated very soon and retain it for long. The pan should be placed on high flame until it becomes very hot. Two tablespoons of water should be added which is followed by adding marinated pork. Then the whole thing should be stirred well. At first the pork sticks to the pan but later when the juice comes out the meat loosens from bottom. The stirring should be continued. Traditionally the pork should be undercooked but it is not advisable due to health reasons.

The pork should be put in a large mixing bowl. The other ingredients should be added afterwards which include green onion, cilantro, shallot, fish sauce, lime juice, chili pepper, toasted rice, etc. Toasted rice can also be used to garnish the dish from top. It should be mixed well and tasted later. The dish is hot with little bit of tartness. All the mixed ingredients should be added to a serving bowl and then should be garnished with spearmint and toasted rice. Various vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, Thai basil, and green beans are usually added from top.

Green papaya salad in Thailand

Green papaya salad is one of the important dishes in Thailand. This is mainly popular among Thai women. This is a northeastern Thai dish is eatable with sticky rice. The other side dishes are beef salad, laab, bamboo shoot salad, etc. Two most popular green papaya salads are best accompanied with salted crab or shrimp. When dried shrimp or peanuts are added, the salad is named as som tum Thai and when it is added with crab, this is called som tum pbooh. The other ingredients remain same in both the cases.

The ingredients can be summarized as one or one and half tablespoons palm sugar, three fourth lime, 2 cups green papaya, five cherry tomatoes, one and one and half tablespoon fish sauce, two chili peppers, one tablespoon dried shrimp, six green beans, one clove garlic, and two tablespoon toasted peanuts which is optional.

If you are preparing vegetarian som tum, dried shrimp should be avoided. You can use fish sauce or soy sauce in place of that. Sometimes lime can be replaced with tamarind and palm sugar can be replaced with regular sugar. The balance of lime juice, fish sauce, peppers, and palm sugar should be properly maintained. In Thailand shredded green papaya is available in every supermarket. Even if you are getting whole papaya, you can peel it and grate it with cheese grater with medium and large sized holes. The seeds should be discarded if there are any. Green papaya salad is usually prepared with the help of a clay mortar, spatula and a wooden pestle.

At first the clove or garlic should be smashed. Green beans and half cherry tomatoes are added afterwards. Chili peppers should be crushed and added to the salad. It should be followed by adding green papaya, toasted peanuts, dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. The pestle is used to push up the mixture in the mortar while spatula is used to push down in order to mix well the mixture. Not much effort is required to prepare the green papaya salad so just go for it and relish it with yours friends and family.