This spicy Thai salad is one of my all-time favourites – it was definitely on weekly rotation when I was younger! I love how the chilli kick and the fragrance from the herbs really bring the chicken to life. You could also try this one with pork or turkey mince, too.
400g (14 oz) chicken mince
3 Asian red shallots (or 1 large eschallot), sliced
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
3 tbsp finely chopped sawtooth coriander (cilantro) (optional)
¼ cup mint leaves
2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
cabbage, snake beans and extra herbs, to serve
Dressing:
2 tbsp raw glutinous rice*
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar
2 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
2 tbsp lime juice
For the dressing, toast the rice in a dry frying pan over high heat until golden brown. Remove from heat and use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind rice to a fine powder. Mix the rice powder with the remaining dressing ingredients.
Place a non-stick pan over high heat. When it’s hot add ½ cup of water. Then add in the chicken mince. Break up the mince as it cooks in the water. When cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the mince to a large bowl (discard the cooking liquid). While the chicken is warm, add the shallots and toss. Add the dressing and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more chilli powder, fish sauce and/or lime juice if needed.
When you’re happy with the flavour, add the coriander, sawtooth coriander, spring onion and mint leaves and mix well. Serve warm with cabbage, beans and herbs.
Notes:
– Using glutinous or sticky rice will give you a softer rice powder that creates a thick and soft coating for the finished salad. If glutinous rice is unavailable you can still use regular long grain or jasmine rice to add a similar toasty flavour with a slightly crunchier texture.
